2 fires near propane tanks keep firefighters on toes

OREM — Firefighters are extra cautious when they fight fires near propane tanks, especially after two recent fires involved the flammable gas.

Orem officials are still looking for the cause of an early morning fire in Orem that engulfed a propane tank, a mobile home and a vehicle, and shut down local traffic for two hours.

The night before, firefighters from American Fork, Lehi and Saratoga Springs spent nearly 40 minutes extinguishing a barn fire with a small propane tank nearby.

The Orem fire began just before 6 a.m. Tuesday at White Flame manufacturing company at 186 N. Geneva Road and caused a 7-pound propane tank to explode, said Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards. Firefighters kept an eye on a nearby 100-pound propane tank and kept water on it to prevent another explosion.

Geneva Road was shut down for just over two hours, giving fire crews the space they needed to work. Edwards said.

The Orem fire was out by 7:15 a.m., and fire investigators were quickly on scene looking through the rubble for a cause. No one was injured in the blaze, and a damage estimate has not yet been established, Edwards said.

In Saratoga Springs, the barn was fully engulfed when officials arrived around 6:30 p.m. Monday and is now being considered a total loss, said Saratoga Springs Fire Chief Mike Penovich. Officials believe the fire started from sparks left over from men working with hot metal inside the barn.

Penovich reminded people to keep an eye on work areas 4 to 6 hours after working with hot metal to ensure sparks aren't hibernating in sawdust or other flammable materials, waiting for a breeze to ignite.

One horse pulled was pulled from the barn at 7675 N. 9550 West and several others were pulled from stalls near the barn by neighbors, Penovich said.