SW Salt Lake City warehouse fire not considered 'suspicious'

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries.

Michael McFall | The Salt Lake Tribune

Firefighters were responding Sunday afternoon to a three-alarm industrial fire near 3400 W. 900 South in Salt Lake City.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries.

Michael McFall | The Salt Lake Tribune

Firefighters were responding Sunday afternoon to a three-alarm industrial fire near 3400 W. 900 South in Salt Lake City.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries.

Michael McFall | The Salt Lake Tribune

Firefighters were responding Sunday afternoon to a three-alarm industrial fire near 3400 W. 900 South in Salt Lake City.

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Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries. Michael McFall | The Salt Lake Tribune Firefighters were responding Sunday afternoon to a three-alarm industrial fire near 3400 W. 900 South in Salt Lake City. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries. Michael McFall | The Salt Lake Tribune Firefighters were responding Sunday afternoon to a three-alarm industrial fire near 3400 W. 900 South in Salt Lake City. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2015, started at 879 S. Gladiola St., near a 78,000-square-foot, one-story building used by a furniture company was quickly put out. Captain Mark Bednarik with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said semi-trailers and pallets first caught fire, before the blaze began to spread to the building itself as firefighters arrived. No employees were there at the time the fire began, Bednarik said, and there are no injuries. Michael McFall | The Salt Lake Tribune Firefighters were responding Sunday afternoon to a three-alarm industrial fire near 3400 W. 900 South in Salt Lake City.

By Bob Mims The Salt Lake Tribune

· July 27, 2015 10:16 am

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Investigators on Monday resumed efforts to determine what caused a four-alarm commercial yard and warehouse fire in southwest Salt Lake City over the weekend.

A specially-trained arson dog failed to find traces of accelerant use in the wake of the 3:40 p.m. Sunday blaze at 879 S. Gladiola St. (3400 West), where four businesses were housed. While the cause remained undetermined, Salt Lake City Fire Capt. Mark Bednarik said it was not considered suspicious in origin.

Crews arrived at the scene to find fire had sparked into stacks of wooden pallets, trash bins and a trailer next to the warehouse, which also was ablaze.

"While fighting fire on the interior, a series of explosions caused a temporary withdrawal of firefighters for safety concerns. The small explosions continued for the next few minutes, and propane cylinders for forklifts were considered the cause," Bednarik stated. "The commercial fire sprinkler system helped contain the fire inside of the warehouse until crews were able to re-enter and extinguish it."

However, sparks also ignited fire in a nearby field, burning an acre of grass before it was snuffed.

Assisted by neighboring West Valley City crews, more than 70 firefighters brought the warehouse blaze under control by 5 p.m. Some crews remained through the night dousing hot spots and guarding against flareups.

Major fire damage, initially estimated as more than $150,000, was limited to the yard and the exterior walls of the warehouse, Bednarik said.

However, losses could mount as property owners compiled damages from smoke and water.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims