Fire that destroyed Layton apartment building was not human caused, Layton Fire says

LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) — After a fire destroyed an apartment building in Layton last Friday, officials have confirmed that the fire was not suspicious in nature or human caused.

According to Layton City Fire Department, the official cause of the fire is still under investigation, but they have been able to determine that the fire was NOT human caused or suspicious in nature.

Crews first responded to the fire at Layton Meadows at 5:48 a.m. on Friday, October 10. Over 80 people were forced to evacuate, and 37 residents were displaced.

The building had 24 apartments, and it was deemed uninhabitable, as the Layton City Building Official declared it a total loss. The building was valued at approximately $2.3 million, and approximately $500-600 thousand worth of contents were lost.

Layton Fire said in an update Tuesday that residents displaced by the fire should coordinate directly with property management representatives to get any surviving personal belongings back. The American Red Cross is also helping affected residents, providing them temporary housing, resources, and support.

No residents or civilians were injured in the fire, but two Layton City Police Officers were taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation. They were treated for their injuries and were released later the same morning. The officers have returned to duty.

One of the displaced residents previously spoke to ABC4, stating that he believed some animals were killed in the fire. He said that he was one of the first people out of the building, and that he didn’t even think to grab his shoes before evacuating.