Investigators suspect an unattended laser torched a Box Elder County wood shop.
A family ran the wood-etching business in a shop next to their house in Beaver Dam, a remote and unincorporated community. The laser runs automatically, so they left the shop for a bit Friday only to return and find the laser had sparked a fire just after 2 p.m., said Box Elder County Fire Marshal Corey Barton.
Twenty-six firefighters from five departments arrived to find the shop engulfed, so their priority turned to protecting the house, Barton said. The shop was a loss, but the house only suffered some melted siding.
Barton estimated the financial loss at $100,000. No one was hurt.
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