Firefighters: Million Dollar House Fire In Pleasant Grove Sparked By Gas Meter Rupture

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — Firefighters said a home was a total loss with damage approaching a million dollars, following a fire Wednesday afternoon that quickly ignited with a gas meter rupture.

 Crews arrived at the house near Millcreek Circle to find flames shooting from the roof.

“We haven’t quite determined what caused the spark to ignite the gas, but once it reached its ignitable mixture of gas and air, it just went off and burned very rapidly,” said Pleasant Grove City Fire Department Capt. Chase Gustman.

Gustman said a family member at the home had been backing out a trailer and ripped the gas meter off the side of the house.

“The gas began free-flowing at that point at a pretty high pressure because it was before the regulator,” Gustman explained. “It ignited, started the gas on fire outside of the home right underneath the eaves of the home itself, and then from there it just got right into the eaves and ran the attic structure of the home on the second floor.”

Homeowner Spencer Prows said he rushed home from work when he received word about the fire.

It didn’t take long before the roof collapsed.

“It’s crazy!” Prows said.

Prows said the family had moved in just two days earlier.

“Obviously losing a house and losing a house two days after signing on it is very difficult—I’m just grateful that nobody was hurt,” Prows said. “The only things that matter to me were not inside the house when it burned down.”

The homeowner said he was also thankful for the support of his coworkers, several of whom came over to the neighborhood to lend a hand.

Firefighters said as they were actively working to suppress the flames, they had to crawl over to shut off the gas.

A work crew later dug into the driveway to cap the gas line.