LAYTON — If a Layton police officer hadn’t seen the smoke, a woman and her two dogs may not have had time to get out of a house before fire destroyed it, fire officials say.
Layton Fire Department, along with North Davis Fire District, were dispatched at 1:28 p.m. Friday to 290 W. Meadow Brooke Court in Layton.
Several neighbors saw the smoke and called 911.
A Layton police officer also happened to be patrolling the area and saw the smoke and flames in the back of the house, said Doug Bitton, public information officer for the Layton Fire Department.
“He went to the front door and banged on it, but no one answered,” Bitton said. “He then tried the doorknob, and the door opened.”
The officer went inside and yelled.
The homeowner, a woman, had been in the basement watching TV. The police officer told her she needed to get out and helped her get her two dogs.
The woman’s son was at school and her husband was at work when the fire broke out.
Smoke detectors were in the home but would not have gone off in time because the fire started outside of the structure, Bitton said.
Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
Bitton said they believe the blaze started near or in the shed that was attached to the house.
“Many people keep combustible items inside their sheds,” he said.
Some neighbors reported hearing a “boom” before the fire was spotted.
Fire crews arrived within three minutes, but the fire had spread into the attic and roof.
“Fire will double its size every minute,” Bitton said.
Atilio Garcia, a neighbor, was one of those who called 911. He had just gotten home from work.
“I saw the fire coming out the back,” Garcia said.
More than 30 firefighters spent several hours pulling insulation and sheetrock from the ceiling in their search for hot spots.
Bitton said the fire destroyed the roof, the shed and the back of the house, causing “a significant amount of damage, possibly more than $100,000.”
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