This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A living room fire on Christmas evening displaced a Salt Lake City family.
Firefighters responded to the 6:11 p.m. call to find heavy smoke inside a house near 1400 N. Morton Drive (1965 West). No one was home at the time, but neighbors saw smoke in the windows and called 911, said Jasen Asay, spokesman for the Salt Lake City Fire Department.
Firefighters contained the flames to the living room and got the slow-burning blaze under control within five minutes of their arrival. Besides the damage to the living room in the front of the home, there was also heavy smoke damage throughout the house, according to a news release.
Seven people, including two children, lived in the home, and told firefighters that they will stay with family until they can return to their home, according to the news release. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Investigators are also trying to determine the cost of the damage, Asay saud. The family's Christmas tree and decorations were still in the living room, but it was not immediately clear if their presents were also lost to the fire, Asay said.
Though the family was gone, their grey cat was home, but firefighters found the pet outside and unharmed.
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