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- One person was hospitalized after a fire in a vacant Salt Lake City apartment.
- The fire was contained to one floor, and no evacuations were needed.
- The historic Chateau Normandie was recently listed for sale and had safety concerns.
SALT LAKE CITY — One person was taken to a hospital after an abandoned 93-year-old apartment building caught fire Thursday afternoon, Salt Lake City Fire Department officials say.
Nearby fire crews were alerted to smoke coming from the windows of the four-story building, the Chateau Normandie at 75 S. 400 East, just after 3 p.m.
Crews made an "aggressive interior fire attack," according to Bob Silverthorne, division chief of the Salt Lake City Fire Department. They also swept the building twice for anyone inside, which is when they found "one civilian that had minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital," Silverthorne said.
The fire was contained to one floor, according to the division chief, and no evacuations were required because "there wasn't any danger of any smoke or fire involvement in any of the surrounding structures that would necessitate an evacuation from the exposures."
In total, approximately six engines, two trucks, multiple Gold Cross ambulances, and a command vehicle ended up responding. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the fire.
"It may take some time for us to determine how the fire started," Silverthorne said.
Chateau Normandie opened in 1931. While not listed on the National Register of Historic Places or part of the city's many historic districts, the 32-unit complex opened toward the end of the city's first apartment boom at the start of the 20th century, which was in response to a population boom at the time.
But the building has sat vacant "for years," according to Brian Sencion, a real estate agent. Even though it had been vacant for some time, there were some creative uses for it. It was one of several Utah filming locations for the 2022 pandemic slasher flick "Sick," which was co-written by "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson.
However, residents in the area say it was also the center of nefarious activity, including break-ins and drug use. Ben Engel, who lives a little over a block from the building, showed up to a press briefing to question firefighters about abandoned building enforcement.
He said he previously reported concerns to Salt Lake City Civil Enforcement, especially as its outside lawn had become overgrown with weeds for a period. He's also aware of squatting issues, which have factored in fires that have claimed other older or historic buildings in the city.
Sencion and others recently listed the property for sale, placing a large for-sale sign earlier this month.
Engel said the apartment complex, while not on the register, still provided "charm" to Salt Lake City's historic character with its unique architecture. It's a complex he wished could remain housing if someone put the capital expense into it.
"It makes me sad," he said. "This is a beautiful building, and it's just sad. If we could, our community would run in and fix this up and secure it every day."
