Sandy City Fire Department crews joined a multi-agency response Friday morning, July 31, after a fire tore through the roof of a four-story apartment building in neighboring Midvale, displacing approximately 220 households and injuring one firefighter.

The blaze at the North Union Apartments, 942 E. North Union Ave., started in the building's trash chute around 7:30 a.m., according to the Midvale Fire Department via KSL. Unified Fire Authority said the official cause remains under investigation. By 8:45 a.m., flames were visible from the roofline.

Unified Fire Authority spokesperson Nate Cochran told ABC4 that crews were first dispatched around 7:50 a.m. for reports of a light haze inside the building. What they found escalated fast.

"As the incident progressed, they found active flame in the void space between the fourth floor and the roof of the building," Cochran said.

The fire triggered a fourth-alarm response, pulling units from Sandy City, Murray City, and West Valley City fire departments to support Unified Fire crews on scene. Sandy City Fire Department did not immediately provide details about its specific role in the response.

Offensive to defensive

Firefighters initially went onto the roof and through the building to evacuate residents and rescue pets. But as flames spread into the roof void, crews were pulled back. Parts of the roof began collapsing, and commanders shifted to a defensive posture with aerial ladder trucks raised, Gephardt Daily reported.

One firefighter was injured and treated at the scene. Cochran told Gephardt Daily he did not yet have information about the severity of the injury.

Full evacuation

All residents from approximately 220 occupied units were safely evacuated. Crews also rescued pets; unclaimed animals were held at nearby Hillcrest High School for owners to claim.

The school initially opened as a shelter, with American Red Cross volunteers on hand. However, the school's air conditioning failed, and the city of Midvale began searching for an alternate location for displaced residents, FOX 13 reported.

Cochran said no nearby buildings were at serious risk.

Still burning past noon

As of just after noon Friday, Cochran said the fire was far from extinguished. He asked the public to avoid the area, telling KUTV the incident "could take a lot of time."

Building owners were on scene working with residents, but Cochran said it was far too early to estimate when anyone could return. Smoke damage was reported throughout the building.

Fire investigators were on scene but could not begin a formal cause investigation until active operations concluded.

Residents displaced by the fire can contact the Red Cross at 800-733-2767 or redcross.org.