- A fire destroyed a Layton apartment building, displacing 37 people on Friday.
- Eighty people were evacuated including nearby buildings; no injuries were reported.
- An emergency shelter is set up at a local church; the fire's cause is under investigation.
LAYTON — Dozens of families are without a home, and an apartment building in Layton is a total loss after a fire on Friday morning.
The blaze tore through the Layton Meadows Apartments, located at 480 W. 1425 North.
Clint Drake, Layton's city attorney, said the fire impacted the 24-unit building, leaving 37 occupants displaced — all of whom were uninjured.
Two nearby buildings were also evacuated. Red Cross disaster services program manager Sarah Marshall said a total of 80 people were evacuated.
A witness recounted what he heard and saw early Friday morning, as flames were spreading through the apartment building.
"We woke up around 5:30 to screaming," said Brayden Gilmore. "There were shadows outside the window, (a) guy running around, pounding on all the doors trying to get everybody to wake up."
Another witness was empathetic for the families impacted by the fire and recognized that her home could have also been affected.
Two responding officers were treated for smoke inhalation before being taken to a hospital and later released, Drake said. Two other officers were treated on scene.
Layton Mayor Joy Petro praised firefighters for their efforts.
"Early this morning, our community faced a challenging situation as a large fire broke out at the Layton Meadows Apartments. Fire departments from Layton and neighboring cities (including Hill Air Force Base) worked side by side to contain the flames," she said in a Facebook post.
Petro also commended community members who rallied to support their fellow neighbors.
"Today was a powerful reminder of the strength and spirit of Layton in times of crisis as our first responders, residents and others step up to help those in need," she said.
Keith Paul, regional communications director at Red Cross, said an emergency shelter for people displaced by the fire will be located at a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 202 W. 1675 North in Layton.
As of Friday afternoon, firefighters were still on scene assessing the damage.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This story may be updated.
