This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Fireworks likely contributed to a two-alarm house fire in an east Salt Lake City neighborhood.
The fire started about 11 p.m. Saturday in the backyard of a two-story home at 336 S. 1200 East, spreading to a shed and deck before reaching the house, said fire department spokesman Jasen Asay. When firefighters arrived, the house was burning with flames climbing the stories until they reached the attic.
The home's two occupants were already outside when firefighters arrived but the responders checked the house to make sure it was clear anyway, Asay said. Inside, they found a large white birdcage with two avian occupants and rescued both birds.
The call was quickly upgraded to a two-alarm blaze to protect the other homes on the block.
Thirty firefighters had the flames under control within a half hour. No one reportedly was hurt.
A news release said the blaze destroyed a shed, heavily damaged a deck and caused fire damage to both levels of the house as well as the attic.
Though investigators officially ruled the cause of the fire as unknown, fireworks likely contributed, the department announced Sunday afternoon.
"Investigators were not able to completely rule out other possibilities," the announcement adds.
Twitter: @mikeypanda