A Grantsville resident is dead after a fire in the Willow Center apartment complex Saturday night, according to Grantsville City police.
The fire had fully engulfed the victim’s apartment on Apple Street by the time the Grantsville City Fire Department responded, according to Grantsville City Police Officer Alison Peterson. The initial call came in around 9:45 p.m. Saturday.
Two engines from Grantsville’s fire department and an engine from North Tooele Fire District responded, Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said. Fire crews were concerned about the fire spreading into other units in the multiplex apartment building due to high winds, he said.
The windows and door were gone from the apartment due to the blaze inside, with crews able to knock down the flames within five to 10 minutes, Marshall said. It was suspected there was someone inside the apartment during the fire and crews were established to enter the building.
The victim was discovered in the bathroom and the first crew to arrive checked for a pulse before beginning to remove them from the apartment, Marshall said. The first crew had to be relieved due to low oxygen alarms and the removal was completed by another crew waiting to go in.
The cause of death is still under investigation by the state medical examiner’s office; the victim had minor burns on an arm and singed hair, according to Marshall.
The state Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire, which likely began in the front room of the apartment, Marshall said.
Peterson said the name of the victim has not been released pending notification of next of kin. She said the fatal fire has been difficult on the close-knit community and those in the apartment complex.
“They’re all doing well under the circumstances,” Peterson said.