A house fire sparked by a pre-lit Christmas tree caused significant damage to a home on Cooley Street in Grantsville on New Year’s Eve.
Grantsville City Fire Chief Casey Phillips said the department hasn’t been able to determine whether the tree was plugged in improperly or there was an electrical short that sparked the blaze, which happened around 2 p.m. on Saturday. A female resident of the home was taking a shower when the fire started but was able to escape the house with the help of first responders despite suffering smoke inhalation.
Once Grantsville City and North Tooele Fire District firefighters responded to the blaze, they were able to knock down the fire in about 6 to 7 minutes, Phillips said.
The fire damage was mainly contained to the area surrounding the tree, Phillips said, but smoke and water caused more significant and widespread damage. The total cost of damages to the home is believed to be in the $25,000 to $30,000 range, according to Phillips.
While it was unusual for an artificial, pre-lit tree to catch fire, Phillips said, the bigger takeaway from the weekend fire was the importance of smoke detectors. The resident using the shower only knew of the fire due to a working smoke detector inside the home, he said.
