Layton Residents Credit Firefighters’ Quick Response For Saving Homes
Sep 3, 2019, 6:49 PM | Updated: Jul 16, 2023, 3:54 pm
LAYTON, Utah – Homeowners credited firefighters’ quick response for protecting their homes from the Snoqualmie Fire.
Just before noon Tuesday, dozens of homeowners were allowed back into their homes, just below the fire. It was a big relief for people like Hayes Murdock, who watched the fire grow just the night before.
“It was pretty nerve-racking to see it come down the mountain and start heading this way,” Murdock said. “It was coming quick. You could see it blowing down, coming over the mountain.”
Nikki Petersen noticed something similar as she raced over to help her in-laws evacuate their home – but there was one other thing that perhaps surprised her even more.
“We couldn’t even get to their house by then – it was so full of fire trucks,” Petersen said. “(They) were already in their backyard, knocking down the brush to help save their house, I think they did an amazing job.”
Several other homeowners credited that quick response for keeping their homes safe.
“When I came out at a quarter after 12, I didn’t feel very good at all. I was very nervous,” said homeowner Larry Humphrey. “It was just flames everywhere when you look up there, I mean it was just a mess, and then the smoke; it was hard to breathe.”
However, Humphrey said that had changed by Tuesday morning.
“At this point, I feel pretty good,” Humphrey said. “They battled all night. They’ve done a great job.”
Those efforts continued early Tuesday evening, as about 20 firefighters were dedicated to protecting structures. Some, even using water from a neighborhood pool to help battle the flames. In all, about 120 firefighters were helping fight the Snoqualmie fire, including five helicopters. Response managers did not have an estimate on containment at the time of this publication but said the fire had grown well over the 117-acre estimate from earlier in the day.
Evacuations remained in effect for Snoqualmie Circle, Fernwood Drive east of 3200 East and all of Fernwood Circle Tuesday night.
