A home in Grantsville was destroyed in a Sunday morning blaze after a shed behind a carport caught fire.
The fire, which occurred in the area of the intersection of Quirk and Durfee streets, was first reported around 10:37 a.m., according to Grantsville City Fire Chief Casey Phillips.
A passerby was the first to notice the fire and alerted the sole occupant of the home, who was in bed, but able to escape the house unharmed with his pets.
The blaze originated in the shed at the rear of the car port, spreading into the eaves of the structure, Phillips said. From there, the fire spread to the house and into the attic.
When firefighters arrived on scene, the rear of the home was fully engulfed, according to Phillips. Two engines from the Grantsville City Fire Department and two engines from the North Tooele Fire District responded to combat the blaze.
The fire took about 30 to 40 minutes to knock down as crews had to take an external attack since the power couldn’t be shut off on site, Phillips said. When the fire spread, it engulfed an antique car under the car port and flames spread toward the power meter, making it inaccessible.
Due to the quick spread of the fire and lengthy battle, the house sustained substantial damage and Phillips said he believed it to be a total loss. The roof was particularly weak and the fire was enhanced by aerosol cans and propane stored in and around the shed where the fire started.
A drum of racing fuel was moved away before it could catch fire, which likely prevented additional damage, according to Phillips.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Phillips said.