This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A three-alarm fire that damaged three units of an apartment and condominium complex in southeast Salt Lake City on Monday morning was blamed on "improperly disposed of" cigarettes.
Public safety dispatchers say the blaze was first reported at 8:36 a.m., and crews were rushed to the vicinity of the Foothill Gardens complex at 1156 S. Foothill Boulevard.
Smoke and flames were reported pouring from second- and third-story units as firefighters arrived. Two units were heavily damaged by the fire while one more had "heavy" water damage, SLCFD spokesman Jasen Asay said.
The blaze began on an outside porch of a top-level apartment and spread to the attic, said Asay, adding that the cause of the fire was deemed "accidental."
One man on the third floor — next to the apartment where the fire started — was helped out a window by firefighters because the hallway leading out of his room was filled with smoke; a pet cat also was rescued and returned to its owner in good health.
Asay said residents of the affected units were left temporarily homeless by the fire.
One firefighter suffered a shoulder injury while cutting through the roofing and was taken to the hospital to be examined and treated.
The fire, which was out by 9:45 a.m., caused between $500,000 and $750,000 in damage.
— Tribune reporter Courtney Tanner contributed to this story.
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