Mendon police continue investigation into house fire
An investigation pertaining to the cause of a Mendon home destroyed by fire, Monday, is still in progress, said Cache County Fire District Chief Rob Hammer.
The Cache County and Mendon City Fire departments received word of the fire at 9:17 p.m., Hammer said. Approximately 40 firefighters arrived at the scene to find an inferno — a two-story house engulfed in flames, located at the end of a dirt road on 2055 S. 5900 West.
The house was still under construction when it ignited Monday night, and its occupants were set to move in within the next few weeks. They were present at the scene and watched as firefighters worked to control the area.
“The house is a total loss,” Hammer said. “There were a few personal belongings lost, but the family hadn’t moved in yet.”
Between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. the fire was completely extinguished, but dousing the fire required backup. Tenders — trucks containing 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water — were sent to the scene.
Hammer said house fires are not rare in Cache Valley, considering its dry nature.
There are a number of things that need to be looked into regarding the cause of the fire, Hammer said. These procedures include tracking burn patterns and speaking with eyewitnesses to determine how the fire originated, he said.
“When we hear about things like this, it’s kind of disturbing to everyone to think your house could possibly burn down,” Hammer said.
—catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu