SLC.gov

July 28, 2025

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities Director Laura Briefer provided an update following the Millcreek grass fire that ignited on Salt Lake City-owned property on Friday, July 25, 2025.

“First and foremost, I’m incredibly grateful there were no serious injuries associated with this fire, but my thoughts are with the families who are now facing the heartbreak of losing their homes,” said Mayor Mendenhall. “I also want to thank first responders from the Unified Fire Department, the City of Murray, the City of South Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, and others who helped quickly evacuate the Willow Glen apartments, put out the fire as quickly as possible, and protected so many lives in the process.”

“Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) owns and operates the land adjacent to the Willow Glen apartments,” said SLCDPU Director Laura Briefer. “The land is used as a maintenance yard and houses numerous groundwater wells that comprise some of the valley’s drinking water supply, which is managed by SLCDPU. At this time, there is no threat to the drinking water supply in any of the municipalities served by Salt Lake City. I am grateful that there are no serious injuries, but I am deeply saddened about the losses experienced by the Willow Glen community.”

Salt Lake City is cooperating with fire investigators to understand the cause of the fire and the circumstances that led to the loss of nearby property. We are awaiting the results of an investigation, and the City will continue to update the public as information becomes available.

Salt Lake City is also coordinating with the responding agencies and seeking opportunities to partner in recovery. For those interested, the City of Millcreek is accepting financial donations for affected families at bit.ly/millcreekfirehelp.