Feds, state officials probe Roy fire that torched 3 homes, but quiet for now on cause

ROY — As the fire that ultimately torched three Roy homes on Monday intensified, Wallace Rogers and other neighbors were whisked from the area.

But he could tell things were bad.

"They evacuated us after the house was fully engulfed," Rogers said Tuesday, sitting on the porch of his home across from the charred remnants of one of the three structures destroyed. "You could feel the heat over here. It was pretty bad."

Apart from the destruction to the three homes, the Monday afternoon fire along the rail corridor shared by Utah Transit Authority and Union Pacific charred backyards, torched sheds and spurred the evacuation of around 200 area residents, including Rogers, as firefighters fought the blaze. Roy City Manager Matt Andrews said officials from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, were on the scene Tuesday investigating along with reps from the Utah State Fire Marshal's Office and the Roy Fire Department.

"I think there's a lot of speculation with a train causing it. I don't have confirmation of that," Andrews said.

On Monday, North Davis Fire District Chief Mark Becraft, assisting in the effort, said hot sparks from a passing train likely ignited brush along the rail corridor, possibly caused by brake issues or a wheel bearing going bad. That, he suspects, led to fires along a mile or mile-and-a-half section, most notably in the 4300 block of 2675 West, where the three homes were located. On Tuesday, he reiterated his suspicions.

"Just those spot fires along the whole railroad that I've seen in my career — that's just kind of like a no-brainer," Becraft said. "My mind wouldn't go to arson or anything like that or fireworks. A train went through, and immediately you have fire all the way down the railroad tracks. That's usually the cause."

Apart from the blaze along 2675 West, a fire along a section of the rail corridor further north toward Ogden on the west side of Hinckley Drive torched an undeveloped expanse, leaving it blackened.

Union Pacific reps didn't immediately respond to a query Tuesday afternoon. But the UTA, which runs FrontRunner trains along the corridor, said it had examined its trains after the incident, detecting no issues.

"As part of the investigation, UTA conducted a thorough inspection of the train that was initially identified as potentially involved. The inspection found no abnormalities or mechanical issues to the train or rail," reads the statement.

FrontRunner trains use disc brake technology, not tread brakes "commonly found on many freight trains," the statement went on. "Disc brakes excel in bringing lightweight passenger trains to rapid, frequent stops without overheating," UTA said.

Whatever the cause, Craig Baker, whose yard was partially torched, though his home wasn't damaged, said he's lost two wooden sheds in his backyard over the years to fires he suspects may have been caused by sparks from passing trains. He lives two houses down from one of the three that sustained the heaviest damage on Monday and was surveying the scene Tuesday morning.

"It's all overgrown, dry, dead weeds," he said describing the vegetation between his rear lot line and the adjacent railroad tracks. "As soon as something hits it, it's going to go."

Several sets of rail lines traverse the back of the homes in the impacted area, used by Union Pacific and Utah Transit Authority. The Roy FrontRunner station is located north of the section of 2675 West area that was hardest hit.

"The fire department is investigating the cause, and they haven't come forward with a definitive conclusion yet," said UTA spokesman Thomas Lee. "We obviously do share those tracks with Union Pacific, and there were Union Pacific trains and the FrontRunner around the time they're investigating that the fire started."

Meantime, neighbors of those most heavily impacted by the fire launched a fundraising drive to help them. The home most severely impacted was reduced to charred embers while two others to the north of it still stood, by and large, though they appeared to have sustained heavy damage.

"Three homes, we understand, are a full loss, and so we're just trying to rally as a community and as a neighborhood to help and support these families as we can," said Kyron Craven. He's a neighbor and bishop of the local ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Prayers and well-wishes are needed, he went on, but a GoFundMe* account was also created to help the impacted families with rebuilding efforts. "We're just so glad everyone's safe, but it's now just rebuilding and starting new and trying to make the best out of what can be," he said.

Rogers said one of his neighbors across the street who lived in the home reduced to embers did his best to evacuate the home as the fire intensified, shuttling kids and pets out and turning off the natural gas line. "He did everything everything right, everything right," he said.

Now, he said, the impacted families are going to need help.

Andrews said most residents forced to evacuate from homes along 2675 West received the green light to return to their homes as city officials inventory the damage. Apart from the three homes that were destroyed, he said fence lines, lawns and sheds along a broader expanse suffered damage. Some homes sustained more minor damage, like melted vinyl siding.

"There's a lot to sift through for that," Andrews said.

Contributing: Madi Vollmer

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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