Sandy Home Explodes After Fire Breaks Out Inside
Jun 15, 2021, 7:24 PM | Updated: Jul 5, 2023, 2:38 pm
SANDY, Utah — A home in Sandy exploded shortly after crews arrived to extinguish a fire that broke out inside the structure.
The incident happened at 9191 South Alvey Lane around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“You started to realize how much damage was actually taking place every second,” said neighbor David Christensen. “I mean, your heart really aches.”
“This house was completely engulfed in dark black, thick grey smoke,” said Christensen.
It all burned so quickly.
“By the time I got to that side of the street, it had engulfed that entire side of the house,” said Cameron White.
Deputy Chief Ryan McConaghie with the Sandy City Fire Department said there was a large explosion at the home shortly after crews arrived and started fighting the flames.
“A propane tank exploded and it blew the roof off,” said White.
McConaghie said the blast sent hot debris flying through the front of the house, as far as 150 feet.
“At that point, I started to notice there were nearby lawns on fire,” said Christensen.
For approximately 15 minutes, neighbors and fire crews were busy putting out those flames.
“The side of their lawn started to catch on fire,” said Christensen, referring to the home which had the explosion.
The house appeared to be a total loss.
“Uh, it was quite the explosion,” said Christensen.
Though the homeowners were gone, neighbors were certain there was at least one casualty.
“I thought for sure, no way the dog survived this,” said White.
The family dog was trapped inside.
“They cleared the upstairs and they cleared the downstairs, and the dog was hiding under the bed in the master bedroom,” said White. “And they were able to rescue the dog, which is an amazing story.”
According to a Facebook post from the Sandy City Fire Department, the dog was given oxygen shortly after it was rescued.
On one family’s worst day, this dog survived to see another.
“It’s actually a sweet ending to a really horrible and tragic event,” said White.
And at least there was comfort in that.
“I’m shook. That’s probably the largest explosion I’ve seen,” said Christensen. “Pretty crazy day, right?”
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
A *GoFundMe account has been created to help the family recover from the loss.
*KSL-TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
