Firefighters were called to the scene near 400 S. Bangerter Highway at 8:22 p.m., responding to what initially was a grass fire, said Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Dennis McKone. When the first engine arrived, the grass fire was burning in a southwesterly direction toward Central Pallets, 810 S. 4190 West, a pallet-distribution company.

By the time the second fire engine arrived, the blaze, which had reached the stacks of pallets, was raised to a second-alarm fire. It quickly rose to a three-, then a four-alarm fire as the blaze spread, McKone said. During the fire, tires on several semi-trucks and unknown number of 10-gallon propane tanks exploded at the pallet company.

Smoke spread out across sections of Interstate 215, slowing traffic. Dozens of cars lined up along California Avenue as people stopped to gawk at the inferno.

Twelve engines, three ladder trucks and about 100 firefighters and investigators from the United Fire Authority, Salt Lake City and West Valley City responded to the incident, McKone said.

Although many pallets were consumed by the flames, the pallet company building was not damaged.