This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Firefighters battled a blaze Tuesday afternoon that claimed the rear half of a West Valley City home.
Karen Thomas said she was in the kitched of her home in the 3300 block of South Sydney Way when she heard a loud popping noise and turned to see flames five feet tall. She grabbed her dog, ran out of the house, and called for help at 3:12 p.m.
Firefighters put out the flames in about 30 minutes and no one was injured. Ken Thomas arrived home as firefighters were working to douse the flames, saying he felt "sick to his stomach." The family's living room and bedroom were destroyed.