Saratoga Springs blaze under control, cause under investigation

SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — Fire crews were keeping an eye on an area of Saratoga Springs Sunday night, where a grass fire broke out and quickly chewed through several acres.

Word spread as fast as the flames around town, and people drove to the police station and Patriot Park to watch, as flames swiftly moved across a field right up to the edges of the park and police department. The fire jumped Pony Express Parkway and threatened a few empty farm homes.

“What a mess,” Tony Verde said, looking out through his windshield at the charred field. Verde and his son Bronson could see the smoke from their home.

They, along with the rest of the town, watched this blaze unfold in real time.

“It’s getting worse and it’s kind of blowing to the north. It’s the wrong direction for sure,” Verde said, surveying the scene.

He said he was surprised how much area the fire covered and how quickly it moved with the wind pushing it along.

Saratoga Springs City Deputy Fire Chief Kenny Johnson explained how the winds made it challenging for crews, because they kicked up smoke and dust, driving down visibility.

He said one small shed was lost in the blaze, but fire fighters were able to save the farm homes.

Investigators were in the middle of the field, taking pictures and pointing at various spots on the ground. Johnson said they’re still figuring out the cause of the fire.

Many have asked if it’s related to a big city event the previous night.

“This is in the area that the fireworks were launched last night for the Saratoga Springs Splash fireworks, but it’s not necessarily the cause of the fire,” Johnson said. “The investigators will determine that here in the next few days.”

Because the flames came right up to the edge of the police department parking lot, Johnson explained that they plan to pull surveillance video from the building to see if it shows what happened.

Verde and his son watched those fireworks Saturday night. One day later, they found themselves in the same spot, watching a different kind of show.

“They got things under control it looks like,” Verde said, looking out at the fire fighters spraying water on the field. “It kind of looks like they’re in a holding pattern right now, waiting to see if anything else is going to flare up.”