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Davis Journal

Massive blaze destroys Bountiful home

May 20, 2021 11:43AM ● By Becky Ginos

Remnants of the house on Maplehollow Way that burned last Friday. The fire was so hot crews couldn’t enter. It took two hours for them to gain control. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

BOUNTIFUL—Police have identified the victim killed in a house fire last week that also injured a firefighter. 

Scott E. Moore, 61, was found in the basement of a home at 1925 E. Maplehollow Way on May 14 after a fire tore through the house about 10 a.m.

“When our crews arrived there was heavy smoke coming from the basement,” said South Davis Metro Fire Deputy Chief Greg Stewart. “It was so hot and smokey we couldn’t enter. The heat was so high it wasn’t safe so we had to pull out. It took two hours to gain control. It was so massive and hot.”

Stewart said one of his firefighters was injured when he tried to enter. “He was taken to the University of Utah burn unit with second-degree burns on his arms and shoulder. That’s the worst thing you can hear is one of your people has been injured, but he should make a full recovery.”

Crews got chased out in the hallway and into the garage because the smoke was so black and thick, he said. “One of the guys said he couldn’t even see his flashlight. We had to cut holes in the roof to improve visibility although the fire had pretty much done that for us.”

It took 30 minutes for the heat to come down, said Stewart. “The structure was too weakened by the fire. We had to do what we could. We started shooting water through the windows and doors to see if it was safe to enter and find any potential victims. That was when he (Moore) was discovered.”

No other structures were involved, he said. “Crews had a good plan B that didn’t happen, which was good but they were ready if it did happen.”

Stewart said they had 27 firefighters on scene. “We had a bunch of tired crews. We got help from Farmington Fire and Salt Lake to backfill the station. South Weber was also there. We had a lot of help which was nice.”

Initially the fire seemed suspicious in nature, said Stewart. “The fire was pretty involved and moved really rapidly. That’s a red flag that something is different. They had a dog looking for any signs of arson. There were no findings on that. We’re doing a preliminary investigation. It’s hard to say for sure because of a fatality it will be more in depth so it’s up in the air.”

However, Stewart said on Monday that what looked suspicious could have been accidental. “The Fire Marshal, Bountiful Police Department and the insurance company are all investigating and we’re waiting for the autopsy report. It’s still under investigation.”

Stewart estimated damage to be between $700,000 to $800,000 if not more. “It was pretty massive.”