Overnight Fire At Smithfield Business Forces Apartment Evacuation
Jan 4, 2019, 8:06 AM | Updated: 12:30 pm
SMITHFIELD, Utah – A business owner in northern Utah has to start over after his cabinet shop, Premier Cabinets, went up in flames Thursday night.
The fire forced residents in a neighboring apartment complex to evacuate.
Multiple agencies including Smithfield and Logan Fire responded, and it took crews several hours to get the fire under control due to the wood inside the shop that added fuel to the blaze.
Nearby US-91 had to be closed for several hours to accommodate fire supply lines across the highway. The cold temperatures also played a role in firefighters’ ability to battle the blaze.
A business fire in Smithfield forced the evacuation of a nearby apartment building.
“I don’t know what to think,” said owner Ryan Coats. “I’m a little bit in shock. We just got the call, ran down, and it looks like everything is gone.”
Coats said he has owned his business, located just off 700 North Main Street, for 20 years. He and his employees closed up Thursday around 5 p.m., but never thought they’d be returning to firefighters working tirelessly to save what he worked so hard to build.
“There were flames shooting from the roof of the south side of the building,” said Smithfield Fire Battalion Chief Brian Potts. “Also we had exposure to an apartment complex to the south, so our initial attack was to protect that apartment complex.”
All residents were temporarily evacuated, but the apartment sustained some damage to the windows and doors.
As for Premier Cabinets, the damage is extensive, Potts said.
“We think it started in the back, maybe the paint booth,” Coats said. “I don’t know if it was some rags or what.”
The cause is still under investigation. No injuries were reported.
