Stranger being hailed a hero after kicking in door, stopping apartment fire

LAYTON, Utah — (KUTV) - A house fire in Layton, Utah could have been much worse if not for an alert witness, according to the Layton Fire Department.

The witness noticed flames in the kitchen of an apartment at 248 West Antelope Drive and forced his way into the home to extinguish the fire around 6:40 p.m. Sunday.

The man was able to get an extinguisher from one of the breezeways of the apartment complex before kicking down the door to douse the blaze.

It's unclear if the man was a neighbor or just in the area.

Battalion Chief Brad Wilkes of the Layton Fire Department says the witness "definitely saved the day."

The fire started because of unattended cooking on the stove. No one was home at the time.

“Don’t leave the stove on and leave the house," Wilkes said.

The damage was limited to the kitchen and is estimated to be about $15,000.