This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A teenager and his younger brother escaped a house fire that caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage early in West Jordan on Tuesday morning.
A passerby saw the smoke and flames at the house near 8500 South on Redwood Road at 5:20 a.m., according to West Jordan fire Captain Don Chase.
The bystander reported the fire, then banged on the front door to alert any occupants, Chase said. The house doesn't have smoke detectors, Chase said, and the knocking woke up the two siblings inside.
A 19-year-old and his 12-year-old brother woke up and escaped through a back window since the front door was blocked, Chase said. Neither was injured and no one else was home, Chase said, adding the teenagers' mother was out of town.
Fire crews had the fire mostly out in 10 minutes, but a gas meter failed and leaked natural gas, so firefighters had to wait to go inside until the gas company showed up to turn off the gas, Chase said.
The fire was likely started by a can of cigarette butts outside the home that high winds reignited, Chase said.
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