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SALT LAKE CITY — A fire in an industrial part of Salt Lake City Thursday morning caused heavy damage to a recycling business and forced the closure of 900 South between 2700 West and 3200 West
Crews battled the blaze at the Pallet Express facility, 3040 W. 900 South, and an adjacent area that contained a large number of wooden pallets, fire officials said. About 70 firefighters responded to the scene.
"Pretty much everything that's been within this property has ignited," Salt Lake City Fire Capt. Brandt Hancuff told KSL-TV.
Hancuff said there were also "a number of explosions during this firefight." Semitrucks were also on fire, with tires exploding, he said. Crews fought the fire defensively with a focus on keeping the flames away from large propane tanks in the area.
No injuries were reported.
— Salt Lake City Fire Department (@slcfire) June 27, 2024
"Luckily, we've been able to keep the fire in check and keep it from spreading to the other business, and I think we will be able to keep this from extending businesses, those and creating any hazards to those properties," Hancuff said.
Salt Lake Fire Capt. Chad Jepperson said the main body of fire at Pallet Express torched its perimeters, including Rocky Mountain Recycling to the east and Metro Recycling to the west.
Jepperson also said the heat played a role in firefighting, as crews needed to be rotated in and out, and unpredictable wind caused additional difficulty.
As of noon Thursday, the fire was no longer active but crews planned to monitor it all day and into the night, ensuring no hot spots reignite. The roof was also being monitored, as it sustained significant damage and could be at risk of collapse.
Contributing: Karah Brackin
