VIDEO/PHOTOS: The apartment building fire in Eagle Mountain is only the latest in a string of apartment fires this summer in Utah. The fire broke out in an apartment in Eagle Mountain on Tuesday morning, hospitalizing one person and displacing multiple families.
“You could just feel the heat, it was so crazy with how big the flames were,” said Lauren Garner, who lives across from the building that burned in Eagle Mountain. “After seeing this, it definitely makes you think a little bit twice [about safety]. I feel like I’ve been here five years, and it definitely makes you think about getting to know your neighbors.”
In late July, a mower blade struck a rock, igniting a massive fire that burned two apartment buildings in Millcreek, displacing dozens of people. Later, in early August, an apartment fire displaced 13 residents and caused about $1,000,000 in damage. Two weeks later, another apartment caught on fire in Ogden, displacing two residents.
The recent incidents raise the question: How can renters protect themselves when they live in close proximity to others? Kelly Bird, the Unified Fire Authority public information officer, said that while renters are “at the mercy” of their neighbors and landlords, there are some red flags to look out for. Bird said knowing who you live next to is important when judging how safe an apartment complex is.
