House Fire Claims Life Of Willard Woman

December 12, 2018  •  Nelson Phillips  •   Staff Writer

A house fire that started late Monday afternoon has claimed the life of a Willard City woman.

According to Willard City Police Chief Jean Loveland, at approximately 4:50 p.m. on Monday, firefighters from Willard City responded to the call of a structure fire at 255 South Main.

A female resident was inside the home at the time, and was located and brought out by firefighters.  Kathy Olson, 69, of Willard was taken by ambulance to Brigham City Community Hospital, and later transferred to Ogden Regional Medical Center, where she passed away. Although a final cause of death has not yet been determined, officials believe the cause to have been smoke inhalation.

State fire officials have determined the cause of the fire to have been a "chimney fire," where creosote buildup inside the chimney flue catches fire and spreads it to other parts of the home.

Willard officials have relayed the gratitude of the family for all the personnel involved in fighting the fire, and also their request for privacy during a difficult time.

There will not be a public funeral service for Olson, according to her wishes, but the family said a memorial gathering will be scheduled at a later time.

In addition to Willard City agencies, other departments that responded to the fire included the Brigham City Fire Department, Utah Highway Patrol, and Utah Parks.