SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 NEWS) – An electrical short sparked a house fire Wednesday afternoon in Sugarhouse.
The fire broke out around 2 p.m. at a home near 2300 South and 800 East.
Justin Simmons, who lives in the home, was at work when the fire started. His wife and 19 month old daughter weren’t home either.
“Our next door neighbor John has always been a nice guy,” Simmons said. “He was coming home from work and I guess saw the flames and called 911. I’m certainly grateful to him.”
According to the Salt Lake Fire Department, investigators determined the fire was electrical in origin and ruled the fire as accidental.
Simmons said the believed only a cell phone charger was plugged into a surge protector, which caught fire.
Flames spread throughout the family room and there was smoke and water damage to other rooms on the first floor of the house.
“I’m just happy my family is okay,” Simmons added.
Simmons called in a plumber Wednesday night to weatherize the home. He wanted to protect the house from freezing pipes due to the cold weather, which could cause further damage to the home.
