Fuel Transfer Sparks Garage Fire In Riverton; No Injuries Reported
Apr 5, 2021, 10:02 PM | Updated: Jul 12, 2023, 12:03 am
RIVERTON, Utah — A fire sparked during a simple fuel transfer inside a Riverton garage, forcing the homeowner and his family to flee quickly, firefighters said.
Unified Fire Authority spokesman Patrick Costin said crews received a call just after 7:30 p.m. Monday to a home near 3000 West and 13600 South.
When firefighters arrived, the garage was fully engulfed in flames.
“(There were) just 15 to 20-foot flames coming out of the garage — just massive flames, massive smoke,” Costin said. “Luckily, a couple (fire) stations were down the street, so they deployed multiple hose lines really quickly and knocked down that fire before it could extend inside and made a quick save.”
Scary situation for a homeowner in Riverton…when a fire sparked in an instant inside his garage. What firefighters say all families should keep in mind after what happened here…@KSL5TV at 10p #KSLTV #Utah pic.twitter.com/1Sr2qzj8kr
— Andrew Adams (@AndrewAdamsKSL) April 6, 2021
Costin said the homeowner was transferring fuel from his car to a fuel tank using a fuel pump.
“(He was) doing everything he should have and then something just sparked that gas,” Costin said. “Luckily, he escaped without burns.”
Costin said the homeowner immediately evacuated his family and nobody was injured.
Because the door from the garage to the house was closed, Costin said the fire did not extend into the house, and there was only minor smoke damage inside.
Firefighters said though the homeowner took the right precautions during the fuel transfer, the fire showed what could still go wrong in those types of situations.
Costin said having a fire extinguisher nearby is not a bad idea.
“It’s just one of those fluke accidents that happened,” Costin said. “We just want the public to know anytime you’re working with fuel — even if you’re transferring stuff as you should — there is still that risk of fire.”
