A 53-year-old Imperial man was injured and about 12 storage units were destroyed by a fire at Aloha Public Storage, 4121 Jeffco Blvd, south of Arnold last week, authorities reported.
The fire began at about 5 a.m. May 8, when a man was inside one of the storage units working on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a space heater ignited nearby gas cans and cleaning solvents, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The man was engulfed in flames and several explosions occurred after deputies arrived at the storage business, the report said.
The man was taken to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County for burns to his hands and face, the Sheriff’s Office reported
The man was treated and released, Rock Community Fire Protection District spokeswoman Stephanie Jackson said.
Rock Fire’s first firetruck arrived on the scene at 5:07 a.m. and found the building fully engulfed in flames. A second alarm was struck for more personnel and the fire was under control at about 6:20 a.m, The scene was cleared at 8:51 a.m., Rock Fire reported.
Jackson said some storage units in the building were not damaged by the fire. However, a pickup parked near the building was damaged.
She said the cost to repair the damaged storage units was estimated at about $75,000, and about $150,000 worth of items were destroyed by the fire.
Rock Fire investigators ruled the fire accidental.
The Antonia, Saline Valley and Mehlville fire protection districts helped with the call. The Rock Township Ambulance District and Arnold Police Department also responded to the scene.