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SANDY — A man working on a car engine inside a garage accidentally started a fire Friday.
A man was working on the engine of a Ford Expedition in his friend's garage, 8475 S. 964 East, when something caught fire about 2:30 p.m.
"He said he had started the engine, checked the battery to see if it was working. The fuel injector, the fuel shot out and started a spark and that's what started it, from what he was saying," said Doug Nelson, who lives a few houses away.
The fire quickly spread to the garage and into the two bedrooms located directly above it, said Sandy deputy fire chief Bruce Cline. Fire crews were able to make a fast attack, however, and prevent the flames from spreading any farther.
The vehicle was a complete loss and the garage suffered heavy fire damage. The entire home suffered some smoke damage, he said. Other items stored in the garage, such as oil and paint, fueled the fire.
"Really it's best to store those things in an out-building," he cautioned all residents.
No one was injured in the incident. Cline said the residents would not be able to stay at their home at least tonight.
"For a sleepy little Sandy neighborhood it's quite a bit of activity. It will pull all the neighbors together, and all of that fun stuff. It's kind of a sad tragedy to be able to pull the neighbors together. It just reminds you to watch all the flammable things in your garage," Nelson said.
