- Ogden police said Wednesday they captured video of individuals setting off fireworks that sparked the 9th Street Fire.
- The fire destroyed a home, and the suspects left without calling for help.
- Authorities emphasize potential consequences for those responsible for the fire and the damage.
OGDEN — Investigators in Ogden said they have video of the people who set off illegal fireworks, sparking a fire that destroyed a home.
Ogden police said multiple people were in Ogden Canyon setting off fireworks illegally, and that's what sparked the 9th Street Fire. They said it was all caught on camera.
"We are aware of multiple individuals who were up there," Ogden Police Capt. Matt Ward said.
Ogden police said a group of people set off fireworks, past curfew, on a dry mountainside — and didn't take action when a glow appeared.
"It does show when the fire starts, and it shows the individuals involved in starting the fire leaving the scene and not calling for help," Ward said.
Ward said the trail camera and surveillance video are clear. The group was acting illegally.
"Reckless burning is obviously one of the things we're looking at," he said. "There's also codes for leaving a fire."
The police and fire department point to a city ordinance that states those responsible will have to pay for damages.
"That could be very significant if you think about the people that would get involved. The manpower, the resources that it took to put out a fire," KSL legal analyst Greg Skordas said.
Skordas said most cities and the state will try to get payment for fire damage caused by reckless or negligent behavior.
"They'll take what they can," he said. "(It's) mostly symbolic, mostly to get their attention to punish them for the damage that they caused."
He said typically, insurance won't cover criminal conduct. However, an ordinance like this won't necessarily bankrupt someone.
"Sometimes it's a matter of 'pay a hundred bucks a month or pay $10,000, we'll call it even,'" Skordas said.
Ward said the city doesn't want a repeat incident around Pioneer Day, July 24.
"We'll have some increased patrols working close with the fire department," he said. "We're looking at possibly restricting some access to the trailheads in the evenings, but we're looking at multiple options just to try to avoid it, because, again, we want everybody to have fun."
