DAYTON — Racing fuel that was ignited by welding is being blamed for a fire that caused significant damage to two garages and a house on South Harbine Avenue in Dayton Monday, according to firefighters.
Crews were initially dispatched on reports of a garage fire in the first block of South Harbine Avenue around 11:40 a.m. Monday.
The fire started in the garage after a person was welding on a race car. While welding, sparks caught some alcohol-based racing fuel on fire, which then spread and engulfed the garage, Dayton Fire Department District Chief Dave Wright said.
The garage fire spread to a neighboring house and a second garage. The first garage was deemed a total loss while the house suffered damage to about 70 percent of the structure and is inhabitable, Wright said. Damage to the second garage was contained to the outside wall of the structure.
One person was injured in the fire and was taken to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries, Wright said.
“The occupants did try to use some water to put (the fire) out. But racing fuel is alcohol-based and water is not going to extinguish it," Wright said.
“Had they worked much longer on trying to extinguish it, it could have been much worse,” he said.
An estimated cost of damage was not immediately known.