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SALT LAKE CITY — Firefighters remained at an abandoned 93-year-old apartment complex on Friday, combating additional flare-ups after an initial fire sent one person to a hospital Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters received a report of "significant" smoke and flames coming out of the Chateau Normandie, 75 S. 400 East, shortly after midnight, Salt Lake City Fire Capt. Chris Burke said. Crews were still sifting through the damage and hot spots Friday afternoon.
Fire crews initially responded to the building shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday after someone reported smoke coming from the windows of the four-story building.
Bob Silverthorne, division chief of the Salt Lake City Fire Department, said crews made an "aggressive interior fire attack." 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."
The fire was contained to one floor. In total, approximately six engines, two trucks, multiple Gold Cross ambulances, and a command vehicle ended up responding at first.
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the first fire.
"It may take some time for us to determine how the fire started," Silverthorne said.
Burke said it's also unclear what sparked Friday's flare-up, but it caused more visible exterior damage to the building. Firefighters spent Friday afternoon inspecting a large hole in the roof above where the initial fire started. Crews were also inspecting other parts of the building just in case the fire rekindled again.
It's unclear what it means for the Chateau Normandie, which 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 in October.
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."
