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SALT LAKE CITY -- Three people are safe following a fiery crash in the parking garage of Salt Lake City International Airport. The crash happened Sunday afternoon as the vehicle was driving on the main level of the parking structure near Terminal 2.
Witness Kevin Elsberry said he was in the garage at the time and noticed a smoke billowing from an area of the structure, as well as a number of emergency vehicles heading toward the west end of the garage.
He said the explosion was so strong that "you could feel the concussion in the parking garage when it blew." Fortunately, none of the three occupants of the vehicle were injured in the crash.
According to fire officials, the car impacted a cement pillar in the garage and eventually burst into flames.
The fire was so intense that the cover of the overhead light fixture melted, leaving material dripping from the ceiling deck near the crash site.
"(This fire) did considerable damage," said Karl Steadman, division chief for the Salt Lake City Fire Dept. "It consumed most of the car and the combustible portion of the light fixture above."
Steadman said luckily the crash occurred in an area of the garage that had few vehicles nearby, therefore no other vehicles were damaged. Access to the garage was prohibited temporarily while fire crews extinguished the flames.
The cause of the crash and the fire is under investigation. Steadman said had hadn't seen very many incidents like this one before.
"It's not a common occurrence to have a car on fire like this," he said.
E-mail: jlee@desnews.com
