Santaquin Fire Department Reports on Tuesday Night's Shed Fire

By Andrea Urban

Santaquin Fire PIO

The night sky was lit up Tuesday evening when a residential shed in Santaquin went up in flames.

The fire started sometime around 8:20 PM on Tuesday, October 27 in a wooden structure used as a workshop, shed and storage area.

Santaquin Fire, Payson Fire and Genola Fire responded to a call for a structure fire at approximately 140 North Center Street in Santaquin. "There were at least one propane tank and seven Volkswagen engine blocks used for building dune buggy type vehicles," said Santaquin Battalion Chief Ryan Lind. "VW engine blocks are known for containing magnesium, a metal that when burning, reacts with water."

When fire crews applied water to the fire, the burning magnesium reacted and flashed explosively. Typically a class D extinguisher is used to put out a fire that involves burning metals like magnesium but that type of extinguisher is not carried by our departments.  The magnesium continued to react until it was cooled sufficiently by the water.

The shed was a total loss and all contents were also destroyed in the fire. Thankfully, no people were injured in the fire and no other structures were affected.

Santaquin Fire Chief Stephen Olson said, "Due to massive fire damage, the cause of the fire is undetermined but there is NO evidence of criminal activity in this case."

Lind added, "It is believed that a spark or smoldering ember from earlier metal cutting activities is likely to blame for accidentally starting this blaze."