MURRAY, Utah — An apartment fire in Murray Friday destroyed at least two units and displaced several residents.
Crews with the Murray Fire Department responded to the fire at 309 East 4500 South around 5:45 p.m. Friday.
But thanks to the efforts of a Murray police officer, who jumped into action before the fire department was even on scene, people and pets got out of the burning apartments safely.
FOX 13 News spoke with him after the ordeal about what he saw when he first got there.
“As I was running up and asking ‘where's it coming from’ and no one was able to really pinpoint that so I went through the darkest smoke that I could find, I tried to go in through that way.” said Officer Kevin Marquardson with Murray City Police. “Very smoky, very dark, so I just couldn't see anything, still trying to knock on doors and get people outside of the building.”
Apartment resident Lester Herrera said he was just getting ready to enjoy the weekend when he heard screaming.
He opened his door to find smoke so thick he couldn’t see.
Herrera called Officer Marquardson a hero. He says anyone who runs into a burning building is a hero in his book.
Everyone got out safely but some residents suffered minor smoke damage.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
