HERRIMAN, UTAH (ABC 4 News) – Shortly after the fire started in Herriman firefighters ordered people in the path of the flames to evacuate the area. But some people didn’t need anybody to tell them to get out.
Kevin Bogdanow, who lives at 148th South and 75th West, says “I ran into my house and told my son to start grabbing stuff cause there’s a fire.” Bogdanow says the fire was “closing in on our neighbors houses.” He says before anyone told him to evacuate he was already trying to evacuate.”It was just terrifying. It was so close you could hear propane tanks blowing up and gas tanks. And suddenly two houses were engulfed in flames.”
While this was going on, his wife, Nora, was down the hill stuck at a police blockade. “I could see it from down here and it was pretty intense.”
Kevin and his son Gus grabbed photos, documents, jewelry, pets and other items and then helped neighbors do the same and helped them with their horses. But the fire was everywhere and they just had to leave. Bogdanow says “I stayed as long as I could, then it made me physically sick.”
Up the road homeowner Jeff Lindhardt was dealing with flames as well, but having a harder time leaving his house.
“I’ve walked back in three times and they keep kicking me back out.” He told us that at one point “20 foot flames” were just “20 yards from his house.” That’s why he kept going back into the evacuation area – he wanted to make sure his home was still there.
He says he thought his neighbor’s house was going to be engulfed in flames because it was within a few feet of the structure, but he says firefighters were able to knock it down and save it. Because of that he had nothing but praise. “Firefighters and police are doing a hell of a job.”
Kevin and Nora say this is not the first time they have been evacuated because of a fire. Two years ago the Herriman shooting range fire forced them to flee as well. But Nora says this time “was much more intense.”
