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Fire Destroys Remnants of Brigham City's Historic Baron Woolen Mills

File: Google Maps

A small group of firefighters is still working on one remaining hotspot at Brigham City’s Historic Baron Woolen Mills Monday afternoon. Rick Bosworth, spokesman for Brigham City says the fire started around 9 pm Sunday in a newer area of the abandoned factory and spread to the larger brick structure. He says crews came in from surrounding cities to battle the fire.

“We had Brigham, Willard, Honeyville, Corinne and Tremonton all at the site,” says Bosworth.

Brigham City’s Historic Site listing says the factory was abandoned in the mid-1990’s a few years after it was sold, ending four generations Baron family ownership. It was originally built in the 1870’s as a blanket manufacturing co-op that included a sheep herd and cotton farm. Bosworth says an investigation into the cause of the fire has just begun by the state fire marshal’s office with Brigham City Fire and Police assisting.

"We appreciate not only the response of our firefighters, but also other communities. They were able to knock the fire, or at least control the fire by 10 pm last night," says Bosworth.

He says no one was injured while fighting the fire.

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
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