500 West closed after spark ignites pallets, railroad ties


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MURRAY — A road was closed for a few hours Friday morning after sparks from a construction site started a fire, officials said.

The fire started around 10 a.m. near the Aftec building at 4730 S. Riverside Drive. Construction workers were grinding metal on a structure they were building when a spark ignited several stacked wooden pallets nearby, officials said. The pallets caught fire and the fire spread to several wooden railroad ties holding up metal containers.

"There might be some really heavy, creosote-type large timbers back there that they use for moving some of their heavy stuff, and that's the problem right now," Killion said as crews monitored potential hot spots after dousing the fire.

Six agencies responded to the fire and had it contained by 11 a.m., but 500 West was temporarily closed between 4700 South and 4900 South.

Two employees were in the building when the fire broke out and attempted unsuccessfully to douse the flames with fire extinguishers and a garden hose, Killion said.

Officials said the most damage was caused to the roof of the building under construction, but the total property loss and damage has not yet been estimated.

Contributing: Haley Smith and McKenzie Romero

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