This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two men were charged with arson after a cooking fire they built in a vacant downtown building grew out of control.
The pair, ages 18 and 21, were squatting at the Arrow Press Square building at 125 S. West Temple, firefighters said. The men started the fire the morning of March 25 to cook chili but added wood and cardboard until it grew to about 3 feet by 3 feet, according to charges filed Friday in 3rd District Court .
An office worker in a nearby building spotted the blaze about 11 a.m. and called 911. The two men ran when they heard sirens but were caught by firefighters.
The firefighters quickly put out the fire, though it damaged the floor and windows in the room where it started. Both were charged Friday with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony.
Lindsay Whitehurst