Boise & Garden City

Welders escape injury in fire at new Simplot Co. headquarters

Statesman Staff
The burned deck of a hydraulic lift sits after a welding blanket caught on fire Monday afternoon as workers welded outside the sixth floor of the new J.R. Simplot Co. headquarters in Boise.
The burned deck of a hydraulic lift sits after a welding blanket caught on fire Monday afternoon as workers welded outside the sixth floor of the new J.R. Simplot Co. headquarters in Boise. Boise Fire Department

A safety blanket caught on fire while two welders worked outside the sixth floor of the new J.R. Simplot Co. headquarters in Downtown Boise on Monday afternoon.

The workers were welding from the platform of a hydraulic lift when the fire broke out at about 2 p.m. at the building at 1000 W. Myrtle St.

They escaped injury by climbing out of the lift cage and onto the floor of the building, said Tammy Barry, spokeswoman for the Boise Fire Department.

Other workers used fire extinguishers to battle the flames as the lift was moved away from the building.

This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Welders escape injury in fire at new Simplot Co. headquarters."

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