Cause of $65 million Midvale apartment complex fire 'undetermined'

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The July fire at Midvale's North Union Apartment caused $65 million in damage.
• The Unified Fire Authority's report deemed the fire's cause "undetermined" but did not rule out electrical issues.
• One firefighter was injured during the 24-hour event.

MIDVALE — The fire at the North Union Apartment in July that burned for more than 24 hours and displaced tenants from 220 units, causing an estimated $65 million in damage, started in a small space between the roof and the fourth floor living area, according to a final report from the Unified Fire Authority.

But the cause of the fire remains "undetermined."

"The available evidence was insufficient to identify a competent ignition source or establish the ignition sequence to a reasonable degree of certainty. Investigators did not identify sufficient physical evidence to support a more specific classification of the fire cause," according to the UFA report.

The report also notes, however, that an electrical problem cannot be ruled out as a possible ignition source.

"Based on the fire damage and scene conditions, it is possible that an energized electrical conductor, electrical component, or malfunctioning mechanical item could have served as an ignition source. Therefore, the electrical system cannot be eliminated as a potential cause of this fire."

On the morning of July 31, the apartment complex at 942 N. Union Ave., which consisted of "a four-story residential occupancy and contained approximately 234,112 total square feet, with a building footprint of approximately 58,528 square feet," caught fire.

"Upon entering the structure, the initial fire crew reported a slight haze but no visible flames. Heavy smoke was subsequently reported within the trash chute. Fire crews conducted a further investigation of the trash chute and confirmed the presence of smoke; however, no significant heat was detected at that time. Crews began making inspection cuts to determine the location and extent of the fire. Following the inspection cuts, an increase in smoke was observed coming from the roof area," the final report states. "Due to the worsening smoke conditions and the potential for fire extension throughout the structure, additional fire personnel initiated an evacuation of the entire building.

"The fire resulted in extensive and catastrophic damage to the apartment complex, affecting numerous residents and businesses. Significant portions of the structure were damaged, along with substantial personal property belonging to the tenants," the report continues. "The estimated total damage associated with the incident is approximately $65 million. This estimate includes damage to the apartment complex and the personal belongings of the affected tenants."

No tenants were injured. One firefighter reported being injured during the event, according to the report.

"Additionally, four firefighters were involved in a roof-collapse event that resulted in a 'mayday' call. No injuries were reported as a result of the roof collapse. No civilian or firefighter fatalities were associated with this fire," the report states.

The investigation eliminated several potential causes of the fire, including: lithium-powered batteries and other similar batteries; spontaneous combustion; work that involved welding, cutting, a torch or open flame; smoking materials; lightning; and arson.

The report also states that investigators gave special attention to the garbage chute. However, "the lack of observable fire damage within the garbage chute, collection bin, and compactor does not support the garbage chute as an area of sustained open-flame fire involvement."

The elevators were also closely examined "due to a reported elevator malfunction the day before the fire, as well as a report that an individual used the elevator at approximately 6 a.m. on the morning of the fire" and "reported smelling smoke while inside the elevator but did not report the odor at that time," according to the report.

Ultimately, the cause of the fire could not be determined.

"Upon completion of this origin-and-cause investigation, it is my opinion that the fire originated within the interstitial space between the roof assembly and the living area of the fourth floor. The specific ignition source and ignition sequence could not be established based on the evidence available to investigators," the report states.

The report further notes that the building "was not designed for a sprinkler system within the concealed space" and that "the sprinklers for the fire protection system in the area had not functioned because the heat and flame were above within the interstitial space."

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The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Pat Reavy

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Pat Reavy interned with KSL in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL or Deseret News since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops-and-courts beat.