Firefighters in Salt Lake City were called into action early Saturday morning when flames engulfed an abandoned building downtown. The structure, 1865 W and North Temple, formerly known as the Dream Inn hotel, was reported ablaze around 4 a.m., with heavy fire visible upon the fire department’s arrival. ABC4 reports that firefighters rescued three to four individuals from inside the building.
Despite its status as “abandoned,” the building, which Capt. Chad Jepperson estimated needed about 30 firefighters would be needed to respond to, concealed occupant. “We helped three to four people evacuate as well that were inside. They weren’t supposed to be there as this was abandoned and sent stuff boarded up,” Jepperson told KSLTV. Miraculously, no injuries occurred, and the fire was brought under control within an hour.
Speculation around the cause of the fire remained as attendees watched the former inn being consumed by flames. “I don’t know if they were all living there recently, but there was plenty of evidence that people have been living there,” Jepperson shared with KSLTV. Officials continue to investigate, with the cause still unknown…