Barbeque fire catches Sandy house on fire, displaces family

SANDY, Utah — A barbeque caught on fire, causing a 2nd alarm house fire in Sandy Sunday evening.

Sandy Fire Deputy Fire Chief Ryan McConaghie told KSL-TV that a family was barbequing out on their deck near 1200 E. 8700 South around 6 p.m.

While cooking, the man using the barbeque heard “hissing, then a big woosh from the barbeque kind of came out, and a fireball hit him in the leg,” McConaghie said.

The flames spread across the deck into the attic and then the rest of the house.

The fire jumped to the neighbor’s attic, but firefighters arrived in time to contain the spread.

Besides some burnt leg hair, no one was hurt, and everyone got out safe, McConaghie said.

The family in the initial fire is displaced and receiving help from the Red Cross.

Investigators are looking into how the barbeque caught on fire. McConaghie explained that it uses natural gas but is unsure if it had a gas tank.

Total damages are estimated at around two to three thousand dollars. The initial house is not a loss but will need significant repairs.