Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Salt Lake City, UT – Warehouse fire contained by sprinkler system; Fire jumped to building from semi-trailer in parking lot

The fire started about 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot at 879 S. Gladiola St. (3400 West), catching a semitrailer on fire and then jumping to the building, according to Salt Lake Fire Capt. Mark Bednarik. The fire reached one business, a leather and furniture company, while sprinkler systems in the building kept it from reaching other businesses.

As many as 70 firefighters were on the scene Sunday afternoon, Bednarik reported, extinguishing the fire in the warehouse by about 5:15 p.m. Had it spread deeper into the warehouse, crews would have faced “a very different fire,” he said.

“The potential is very high (for damage),” the captain said. “They use a lot of foams and a lot of synthetic materials, and once that ignites, there are very toxic fumes and very hot fires that are difficult to extinguish.” The fire caused at least $150,000 in damage to the business, Bednarik said, with the total expected to climb as water damage to the furniture business’ inventory is assessed.

“One of the business owners made the comment that if the water soaks up into that foam, they could be throwing away $50,000 to $60,000 in product,” Bednarik said. “That’s probably what they’re going to be facing over the next week or so.” With the warehouse fire extinguished, crews turned their focus to the flames that had burned nearly an acre of vegetation and destroyed other items in the yard, including pallets, trash bins and other machinery.

Firefighters remained on scene Sunday evening to manage a number of lingering burning and hot spots. “Once you get those plastics burning, they burn hot and they burn deep through that pile,” Bednarik said. “(Firefighters) are using a front loader from the city to break it apart and open it up.”

Crews were also forced to deal with explosions coming from propane tanks and other items inside the building as they battled the blaze. The cause of the initial fire is unknown, though Bednarik said the fire does not appear to be suspicious. Crews closed roads for about a half a block around the building as they fought the fire.