A fire was reported near Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday. Videos surfaced online showing thick black smoke, while many wondered what was on fire.
A video was shared by Fox 13, which had a chopper at the scene.
Another person shared a video and wrote “Looks like a fire near the Salt Lake City airport !”. A huge plume of smoke could be seen from a distance.
A cause for the blaze was not immediately known. Authorities are yet to release a statement. However, many people speculated as to the reason for the blaze.
{{/usCountry}}A cause for the blaze was not immediately known. Authorities are yet to release a statement. However, many people speculated as to the reason for the blaze.
{{/usCountry}}One person said as per the Citizen app there was a grass fire, which had led to the smoke being seen. “Grass fire per the citizen app,” they wrote.
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Another added “A freight train derailment caused a diesel fuel fire near Salt Lake City International Airport on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, forcing a hazardous materials (Hazmat) response. The incident, which occurred around 11:43 a.m. in the 400 block of North Neil Armstrong Road, involved a ruptured fuel tank.” However, a later comment clarified that this incident took place last year. “Is no one talking about last year It happened last July 11th, 2025, right west of the Salt Lake airport on Neil Armstrong Road…”.
Yet another person asked “Hearing a lot of sirens too.” HT.com could not independently verify these claims.
Reactions to fire in Salt Lake City
Several people reacted to the news of the fire near the Salt Lake City International Airport, which is at 3920 W Terminal Dr. One person claimed they could see the fire from their place of work. “I can see it from my job,” they wrote, while another asked what was burning.
Yet another added “That’s more than likely from the military training facility near the airport.”
Many wished for a quick resolution to the situation. “It says I-80 WB @ 5600 West. Wonder what's burning. I hope they get it out quickly and no one is hurt..,” a person wrote. Another person added “where are emergency vehicles? Response?”.
The news of the fire comes amid reports of another incident at 210 S Rio Grande St.. A video on the Citizen app showed police presence, sparking fears of a shooting.
However, the app did not report on any confirmed shooting. Cops were at Catholic Community Services and the area was cordoned off.