This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Unified Fire Authority crews quickly doused a house fire Friday morning in Taylorsville. A man, woman and their cat escaped uninjured.
UFA Capt. Clint Mecham said his crews' swift response was largely due to a vigilant Murray Fire Marshal Phil Roberts, who spotted the smoke about 7:50 a.m. while driving to work. He stopped and knocked on the door of the home at 1107 W. Murray-Taylorsville Road (4800 South) to alert the woman and her son, then called 911.
Efforts to reach Roberts Friday were not immediately successful.
Mecham said there was no doubt that Roberts' actions kept a bad situation from becoming far worse.
"There was heavy smoke and flames coming from the garage and a structure over the garage when we arrived," Mecham said. "We got there quickly . . . and it took about 15 minutes from our arrival to control the fire."
The cause of the blaze was under investigation. No damage estimates were immediately available, though Mecham said losses were likely to be extensive.
Utah Red Cross spokeswoman Teresa Zundel said her organization was providing the residents of the home with lodging, meals, and clothing replacement.
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