On Monday evening, a two-alarm fire tore through the Applied Technology Building at Taylorsville Redwood Campus.
Firefighters responded after calls came in describing smoke coming from the roof of the building around 5:20 p.m.
2 Alarm Fire at SLCC in @TvilleUT
Dispatched at 5:20pmWe received mutual aid from almost every fire agency throughout the valley. (Thank you all!)
We will have 5 crews remain on scene throughout the night continuing to extinguish hotspots. pic.twitter.com/VMwlI1eYRT
— Unified Fire (@FireAuthority) June 23, 2020
Salt Lake Community College business major Taylor Knight heard a loud bang while standing in front of the nearby Academic and Administration Building.
“I didn’t think much of it, since there’s a ton of construction going on,” Knight said. “About five minutes later, I heard several sirens and looked up to see the Applied Technology Building on fire. It looked like it was coming from the roof and billowed out of the upper part of the building. Since I have my EMT certification, I stayed to see if they needed any extra hands. The firemen were there within five minutes and I left shortly after.”
Unified Fire Authority public information officer Ryan Love said the building was under construction and lacked most of the non-load-bearing walls, making the fire difficult to suppress.
CURRENT: 2 Alarm Fire at SLCC in @TvilleUT
Report from: FF/PIO Ryan Love pic.twitter.com/zaJjtFfkfZ
— Unified Fire (@FireAuthority) June 23, 2020
Crews stayed through the night to ensure all hot spots were extinguished.
“We are deeply appreciative for the quick response of our first responders and SLCC’s Public Safety along with the multiple fire departments for their work in protecting the other buildings on campus and the surrounding community,” Shane Crabtree, the executive director of public safety at SLCC, stated in an email sent to employees on Tuesday morning. Crabtree went on to say all other buildings on campus would be open and providing services as usual.
The Applied Technology Building housed SLCC Printing Services, offices, and classrooms. The fire damage rendered the building a total loss, according to school officials.
@SaltLakeCC 2 Alarm Fire Update:
UFA firefighters will remain on scene throughout the day extinguishing hotspots.
Once the fire is fully extinguished, the State Fire Marshal’s Office will conduct an investigation in an attempt to identify a cause (currently unknown). pic.twitter.com/bjybHM2Feg
— Unified Fire (@FireAuthority) June 23, 2020
On Tuesday afternoon, SLCC announced on its website that the fire is largely contained. The Student Center reopened at 1 p.m.
What caused the fire?
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