Fear Factory fire was caused by unattended cooking or warming fire, SLC Fire says

Related video: Crews respond to fire incident near Fear Factory

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The cause of a fire that damaged a Fear Factory Haunted House building has been determined, according to the Salt Lake City Fire Department and Fear Factory.

On July 23, 2025, Salt Lake City residents spotted a fire burning near Fear Factory, a haunted attraction on 800 S. The fire was reported by employees on site, and the Salt Lake City Fire Department (SLC Fire) was able to get the flames under control in less than 30 minutes.

According to SLC Fire, the fire was “determined to have been caused by an unattended warming or cooking fire.” Fear Factory stated that a homeless encampment on the neighboring Union Pacific property was the source of the unattended fire.

“The fire was unfortunate and we’re grateful that nobody was injured, but the damage was minimal, the haunted house itself suffered no structural damage and we could open tomorrow if we wanted to,” Rob Dunfield, Fear Factory Co-Founder and COO, is quoted in the press release.

That night, the fire spread from trash piles to grass, trees, and the outlying Fear Factory building that received the brunt of the damage in the fire. This building adjoined the property line, according to Fear Factory.

“The bigger concern is that both the Salt Lake City Police as well as Fear Factory staff reported the homeless camp and its growing debris pile in June 2025 on the Union Pacific online reporting portal, but no remedial action was taken,” Dunfield went on to say in the release.

Union Pacific provided the following statement to ABC4 regarding the encampment:

“Homelessness is a challenging issue and a growing social problem that state and local governments are struggling to get their arms around. Union Pacific Railroad does not authorize trespassing, camping or living on railroad property, and we work regularly with local law enforcement and county health departments to remove encampments.”

According to Fear Factory, the fire fortunately did not damage the main building on their property, meaning that they will open as originally scheduled on Sept. 12, 2025.

“We’re grateful to Station 6 and 8 of Salt Lake City Fire Department and their rapid response in limiting the damage that could have been so much worse,” Dunfield stated in the press release. “Our focus is always safety. We train and prepare for many scenarios, and work with our local Fire Marshal Inspector to seek out best practices to ensure the safety of all staff and customers.”

Abigail Jones contributed to this report.