Space debris ruled out as possible cause of Draper explosion

Draper police are asking South Mountain residents to check their security cameras for possible evidence that could help them figure out who caused an apparent explosion Saturday morning near the Salt Lake County Flight Park.
Draper police are asking South Mountain residents to check their security cameras for possible evidence that could help them figure out who caused an apparent explosion Saturday morning near the Salt Lake County Flight Park. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Draper police are asking for residents in the South Mountain area to check their doorbell and security cameras for any evidence that might help them solve the mystery of an explosion over the weekend.

On Tuesday, as city officials put out the request for information, they also announced that police "have ruled out the possibility of the explosion being caused by space debris. This incident is being investigated as human-caused."

Just after 1 a.m. on Saturday, Draper police and fire crews responded to a report of a flash accompanied by a "booming noise" in the area of the Salt Lake County Flight Park, near Moab Way and Manila Drive, according to police. Later that morning, police received an additional report of a hiker who found evidence of a possible explosion in that area.

Crews from the Salt Lake County Bomb Squad and Draper police were flown to the mountainside by a Department of Public Safety helicopter.

Geneva Rock and Rocky Mountain Power both stated that the apparent explosion was not related to any of their operations.

Police are now asking residents in the Steep Mountain Drive, Traverse Mountain and SunCrest neighborhoods to check their security cameras to see if the explosion was recorded, as well as any suspicious vehicles in the area starting late Friday through early Saturday morning.

Anyone with information can call police at 801-840-4000.