This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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 fire in Ogden early Sunday killed a 4-year-old boy and burned his mother.
The names of the victims have not been disclosed. Press releases from both the Ogden fire and police departments describe receiving the report of a fire about 12:30 a.m. and rushing to a rental property at 225 29th St. The building has upstairs and downstairs units.
Police officers evacuated the home but learned two people remained inside the lower level. Firefighters arrived to find no flames but smoke coming from a basement. They entered and found the boy and a 28-year-old woman in the basement. Both were unconscious, and the emergency responders began CPR outside the house.
The victims went to hospitals. The boy was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, according to the press releases. A medical examiner later Sunday determined he died of smoke inhalation.
The mother was in critical condition on Sunday morning with severe burns. In an interview Sunday, Ogden Fire Marshal Kevin Brown said she suffered burns from the chest up that were consistent with being in a burning room where heat rises and then reflects off the ceiling.
Brown said it appears the boy ignited a mattress while playing with a butane torch. Family told investigators it was not unusual for him to be awake at that hour.
"There was two smoke detectors in that basement unit and as far we could tell they were both non-functioning," Brown said.
A fire department press release said the blaze was quickly extinguished and the damage to the home is estimated at $30,000.
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