Crash Causes Gas Leak and Fire at Salt Lake City Building

SALT LAKE CITY – Hazmat crews worked to stop a gas leak Saturday after a delivery van crashed into a building, starting a fire.

Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Jasen Asay said crews responded to the fire at 624 N. 300 West about 3:50 p.m.

“A delivery van was traveling north on 300 West, went off the road (and) into the building,” Asay said.

The van hit an outdoor gas meter, causing a gas leak in the building. Firefighters worked to put out the fire while a hazardous materials team tended to the gas leak, and a heavy rescue team worked to get the driver out of the vehicle.

“Any time that there’s a gas leak, it’s a concern,” Asay said. “When the gas is at a certain level, it can be ignitable, so we wanted to make sure that that situation didn’t happen.”

Crews were able to stop the leak with assistance from Questar Gas. Asay said crews also worked to protect a Chevron gas station near the building that was on fire.

While the back of the Chevron was scorched, the fire didn’t reach the building.

“Our crews did a fantastic job of protecting the structure and not letting the fire spread to the second building,” Asay said.

The driver of the delivery van was a man in his 70s, Asay said, and was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

“No broken bones, nothing too serious, but we just wanted to have him evaluated at the hospital,” he said.

There were some people inside the building at the time of the crash, and they were all evacuated safely.

Asay said investigators are working to determine the cause of the accident.

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