Photo from Stockton Police Department
TOOELE, Utah — Officials are investigated a serious RV fire that left two vehicles totally covered in flames. The fire happened the morning of Dec. 30 in Stockton, and is the third motorhome fire to take place in four days in Utah.
Around 6:35 a.m., Stockton Fire, Rush Valley Fire, Tooele City Fire, and Tooele Army Depot Fire Departments all responded to a report of a structure fire on Railroad St.
However, when police arrived they found two vehicles on fire; both RVs.
Stockton Police said they extinguished the fire before it spread to other places. They were no reported injuries.
The first in a string of motorhome fires took place on Monday, Dec 27. The most recent was Thursday morning. The three fires have resulted in two total fatalities and several more injuries. Questions are arising about whether there is a pattern or similar cause for the fires.
KSL NewsRadio’s Jacob Rueda has been investigating potential causes of the recent RV/motorhome fires and ways to prevent them.
The effects of the pandemic along with the difficulty of finding affordable housing is causing people to seek alternatives to traditional housing, said Rueda. Further, the cold temperatures of winter add urgency to the need for finding a place to live. Motorhomes and RVs serve as possible alternatives to more expensive housing and lifestyles, combining transportation and shelter into one sum cost.
Rueda spoke to Salt Lake City Fire Captain Anthony Burton about the number of recent RV and converted vehicle fires. Captain Burton said taking refuge in RVs and converted vehicles is not safe, especially during the winter season.
Burton noted a number of factors that increase the chances of vehicle files in motorhomes during the winter. He explained one of the problems is that people try to keep warm by using combustion to start a fire, but they don’t ventilate their space properly. Burton also said poor electrical wiring and gases produced by outside generators can ignite and lead to a fire. Poor maintenance of the vehicles in which people are living can have deadly consequences.
It’s a terrible thing he and the fire department are seeing, added Burton. He encourages people to seek out alternatives to living in old, abandoned, or improperly maintained vehicles, especially during the winter.
Contributing: Jacob Rueda
Two dead in RV fire near I-80 off Redwood Road in Salt Lake City
