Investigators are looking for the cause of a fire that engulfed an apartment project under construction in Lehi, Utah, south of Salt Lake City.
The 304-unit multifamily complex, called Alta Vista, broke ground earlier this year, according to a press release issued in March by Atlanta-based developer and construction manager Wood Partners. The flames in the four-story wood-frame building were first reported at 10:17 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, by project security. The fire quickly spread to the rest of the building, most of which eventually collapsed, according to a statement from the city of Lehi.
An adjacent one-story structure believed to be part of the development also burned, while two construction cranes suffered heat damage. No work was being done on the project when the fire broke out and no injuries were reported.
According to local media reports, nearly 30 firefighting units from across the area responded to the fire, which required approximately 30,000 liters of water per minute for two hours to contain. Crews remained on site performing preventative maintenance and monitoring structures ahead of the investigation, according to the city’s statement.
A statement from Wood Partners said: “We are aware of Sunday’s fire in Alta Vista. The project was under construction and had no residents. There were no fatalities in the fire…We are working closely with local officials through the investigation, cleanup and recovery processes.”
Fire officials say it could be several days before they can determine the cause and point of origin of the fire. A Wood Partners superintendent was quoted as saying the closed site had 24-hour security staff and several surveillance cameras.
According to Wood Partners’ release, Alta Vista was part of a master-planned community being developed in the fast-growing Salt Lake City-Provo technology corridor. Scheduled to open in 2027, the complex was to feature a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as more than 8,000 square meters of amenity space.
