An Orem family of seven lost their home Tuesday afternoon to a fire.
The father had been working in the garage with a propane space heater and went inside the house for a few minutes, only to return to the garage to find that the heater had caught it on fire, said police spokesman Sgt. Craig Martinez. He tried to put out the fire himself, but when he realized it was out of his hands, he got his wife and two of their children out of the home without any injuries.
The two children who were home are either infants or toddlers, and their other three children were at school, Martinez said.
About 25 firefighters from Orem and Provo arrived about 12:30 p.m. and fought the flames for about two hours, but the fire had spread from the attached garage to the house and their home was a complete loss, Martinez said. The homeowner's two cars had been in the driveway, and they too were lost to the fire, Martinez added.
The family have relatives in the area and will be staying with them for the time being, Martinez said. Investigators do not yet have a monetary estimate for the damage.
Martinez cautioned against bringing any propane space heaters inside a home or garage, not only for the risk of such a fire but to avoid the possibility of a gas leak as well.
mmcfall@sltrib.comTwitter: @mikeypanda