Three fire departments responded to a 1:30 a.m. fire that broke out Friday in a recently remodeled portion of the Sandy Mall, on the southeast corner of 94th South and Seventh East.
Smoke billowing from the new facade above a number of small stores on the mall's west side was spotted by Sandy police officer Chris Pingree, who was checking businesses just before 2 a.m.Sandy Battalion Chief Don Chase said the fire was started by a portable propane heater used by construction workers.
One truck company and five engine companies, one of them from Midvale and another from Salt Lake County, responded to the fire, which was controlled in 90 minutes.
The fire was contained in one section of the new facade, but dense smoke complicated firefighters' efforts to find the flames. Water that spilled from trucks and fire hoses froze on the asphalt, creating a sheet of ice.
One store directly under fire, One Hour Quality Cleaners, sustained significant water damage, said Sandy Fire Chief Andrew Glad. The old roof under the facade is intact, which kept smoke and water from damaging other stores.
Rich Fenton, vice president in charge of construction for Millford Managers, which manages the mall, estimated damage at $5,000 to $15,000.