Kearns neighborhood is engulfed in a brush fire, but no significant damage is sustained

Kearns, Utah — Although it has been hot in Utah, Robert Kramer and Nathaniel Garcia had an even hotter Saturday when a brush fire broke out a few feet from their Kearns house.

“I came upstairs and noticed the smell of fire and thought nothing of it until my mom grabbed us screaming her head off and said ‘There’s a fire up like 8-12 houses up,'” Garcia recalled.

Garcia and Kramer initially believed the fire would be put out fast, but as it began to spread, they realized something was wrong and took immediate action.

“I jumped on my shed with my garden house, and he jumped on the fence with the fire extinguisher,” Kramer said.

Kramer claims that everyone in the area, including the residents across the railroad lines, had their garden hoses pointed toward the fire while the two were attempting to save their property.

“If we didn’t have everyone come together with the hose and if the fire department was slower on the response, I know my house would’ve went in flames with all these trees and all that dryness,” Kramer said.

According to the Unified Fire Authority, the fire burned around 20 homes, although only minor damage to fences and sheds was reported.

“With the neighborhood as a community coming together and helping in such a time of crisis, it just really held down and I’m glad it didn’t get any further damage to any other houses,” Garcia said.

Kramer claims that his backyard’s trees are falling in response to this fire scare. But with the flames extinguished, his thoughts are turning to the next workweek.

“It’s Sunday, and I think everybody’s just trying to get over it and get ready for Monday,” Kramer said.