Accidental fire guts Tooele Gun Club

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

An early Wednesday morning fire destroyed the Tooele Gun Club's main building, but no injuries were reported.

Tooele County public safety dispatchers said a 911 call on the fire at the club house, located at 2994 Smelter Road, came in at 6:45 a.m. However, the 30-by-50-foot structure was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

The cause of the fire, which started in a utility room near the water heater, appears to be accidental, said Ryan Willden, with the North Tooele County Fire District.

A loss estimate was not immediately available, Willden said, adding that there was "extensive damage to the structure and the contents."

Club President John Miller said the club house contained tables, chairs and a small amount of ammunition stored inside a gun safe. None of the rounds was believed to have exploded, or if they did the shots were thought to have been contained within the safe, Miller said.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims