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WOODS CROSS — Crews estimated the damage to a commercial building at $1 million following a fire Friday that officials say was started by a cutting torch.
At 4:50 p.m., South Davis Metro Fire was dispatched to the fire at the Overhead Door Company, located at 2460 S. 1560 West, Fire Chief Jeff Basset said. As crews arrived, the fire had already spread through the roof and was fought by firefighters surrounding the outside of the building.
Workers at the company were using the torch to cut large garage door springs before they heard a popping noise and observed the torch’s acetylene bottle catch fire around the valve, Basset said. The flames spread to a wood work bench and then to large wood spools with rubber wrapped around them above the bench.
The flames engulfing the spools fueled the fire to the roof area where a natural gas feeder line was running. The roof’s trusses collapsed and the gas lines were pulled apart, allowing the flow of gas into the building to increase the fire, Basset said.
Additional crews responded and one firefighter suffered a head laceration, which required two staples to close. He was treated and released back to work, Basset said.
The heat from the flames damaged the siding of two homes as well as six cars.
Crews did not know why the acetylene bottle caught on fire and further investigation is underway.
The estimated cost of the loss of property is expected to increase once all of the content cost can be determined, Basset said.
