Spanish Fork House Fire

This new feature on UDK’s blog will discuss disasters we have cleaned up for the good people of Utah. We will highlight preventative measures that you can take to help keep damages to a minimum to your home or business. Today we will be discussing a house fire at a home in Spanish Fork

Part 1 – What Happened

Having investment properties such as owning homes as rentals can be an excellent way to build assets and wealth. However, they do require proper insurance, maintenance, code upgrades, in addition to finding renters that cover the costs and expenses.

The owners of this property lived outside the state and were very hands-off with the tenants. Multiple families were living at the property, and unfortunately, no one had rental insurance, otherwise known as personal property insurance.

Renters insurance covers all kinds of personal property a renter may own inside a home, apartment, storage unit, and more. Property typically covered are items like clothes, food, furniture, jewelry, electronics, etc. Basically, anything that is not a part of the structure. If renters do not have personal property insurance, they can lose everything in the event of a fire and walk away with nothing.

It’s an unfortunate and all too common situation. Rental insurance is very affordable, and we suggest everyone that rents to make sure they have adequate coverage for their belongings.

Many people resided in the home, including multiple families, as the tenant was renting rooms to non-relatives. One night in December 2020, a fire was accidentally started by one of the residents in one of the basement rooms that quickly spread. Everyone was evacuated from the home, but tragically, one person later died from injuries from this devastating incident.

Here are some tips to help keep your rental property safe and adequately insured.

1. Keep the property up to code: Examples of code issues can be structural, such as foundations, roofs, windows, floors, and walls. Electrical like wiring, breakers, and proper outlets (Don’t forget that many people will more than likely overload an outlet with things like extension cords, space heaters, etc.) Gas furnaces and waters heaters need to have proper ventilation for carbon dioxide, and any leaks need to be addressed.
2. It never hurts to have a home inspector go through your property to find concerns that can cause problems in the future. A proper home inspection can be beneficial if you plan on renting out the property.
3. As a landlord, you are legally required to maintain a habitable space for your tenants. Hiring the right help can make a big difference for the safety of the residents and keep the property’s value up.
4. Ensure old homes are properly insured for code upgrades, which can be a high cost to comply in getting a property up to code. Have a conversation with your agent periodically to ensure you have adequate coverage for the property.
5. Update your homeowner’s policy to keep up with market costs of the replacement and properly cover property in the home. Property such as; special tools, collectibles, firearms, and jewelry may require additional coverage.
6. If you are renting out a property, consider hiring a property manager. Hiring a property manager can be a great option if you don’t live close to the property or you don’t want to be bothered with sudden issues or maintenance it may require.

Part 2 – The Damage

Many people resided in the home, including multiple families, as the tenant was renting rooms to non-relatives. One night in December 2020, a fire was accidentally started in one of the basement rooms that quickly spread. Everyone was evacuated from the home, but tragically, one person later died from injuries from this devastating incident.

Upon inspection of the home after the fire, it was discovered that there were many code issues. The insurance placed on the home from the out-of-state owners depreciated everything by 50%. There was also a mortgage loan on the property that needed to be paid. This left a shortfall and did not leave not enough funds to cover any rebuilding and cleanup that needed to be done.

The debris from the fire would need to be cleaned up. Personal Belongings like furniture, clothes, carpet, and material from the structure that was heavily damaged not only from the fire but also from the smoke and the water from the fire suppression efforts. Burned basement joists and attic trusses made for an unstable structure. Smoke damage permeated through the walls and ceilings.

Asbestos would also need to be addressed, and smoke damage permeated through the walls and ceilings, which requires special attention and methods to remove it properly.

To evacuate the home and put out the fire, the fire department had to break through an exterior wall to gain access to the home.

The clock was ticking. Anything left of the structure would need to be acted on as quickly as possible to be salvageable. The property would need to be secured temporarily until a plan could be made.

Structure’s left empty can experience further damage due to weather, animals, temperature variations, humidity, and vandalism. The rebuild costs would need to be collected after the home’s rebuild.

PART 3 – The Cleanup

The fire happened in December; however, the permit for work was not issued until the following April. Further damage from weather, animals, and vandals can occur when properties are left alone. It is common for properties to sit while insurance carriers work out coverage details.

Because there were so many code upgrades and the property being underinsured contributed to the delay.

Since the tenants did not have insurance, he collected what he could from their belongings, and UDK helped with some supplies.

Smoke damage from the fire required a complete gut of the home. Basement ceiling joists were damaged and needed replacement for the family room, kitchen, part of the bathroom, and hallway.

Along with mitigation and debris cleanup, UDK performed asbestos abatement throughout, soda blasting, soot sealing, reframing, and attic damaged trusses to bring the inside back up to code.

UDK performed a lot of debris cleanup and improvement on the home’s exterior. The fire department damaged the exterior and some brickwork as they needed to break through a wall. The bricks were older and couldn’t be matched. After Soda blasting, there was some discoloration, so the home was painted.

The gable siding needed to be replaced.

The owners originally had the home split into separate units but planned to sell the home upon completion and had UDK redesigned to a single-family home.

By November, UDK completed the home, and it turned out beautifully. Despite the costs and since the owners plan on selling the home.

Navigating the claims process with insurance can be frustrating, but thorough documentation with reports and estimates need to be made to keep your insurance company in the loop and help you throughout the process of the cleanup.

If you would like to learn about other disasters we’ve cleaned up and how we’ve helped return families back to normal, read through our other blog posts and case studies.

To learn more about how UDK restores fire damage check out our Fire Damage Restoration and Repair page!

Call our non-emergency line for more information on how we can clean up any disaster your home has encountered, big or small!