This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Ashes left on the deck of a Provo home may have caused a fire that displaced a family of five and their pets and destroyed the house Thursday.
The home, near 100 South and 2000 West, is about a block from the fire station, said Provo fire Battalion Chief Jeff Wise. A person who knocked on the station door about 11 a.m. alerted crews of the blaze, which they could see from the facility.
The deck behind the house was on fire, said Wise, who believes the flames spread from the outside of the house through the eaves and into the attic.
No one was inside the house when firefighters arrived, Wise said, and the crew rescued "several" cats, dogs and turtles.
About 24 firefighters worked to get the blaze under control Thursday and were mopping up hot spots that night, Wise said. No one was injured.
Wise estimated that the cost of the damage was between $200,000 and $250,000, and the home was considered a "total loss."
While the exact cause of the fire was under investigation Thursday night, Wise said, the homeowner reported that she had placed ashes from a coal burning stove out on the deck, which could have started the fire.
Twitter: @mnoblenews