A small grounds shed used by the Housing Department at the University of Colorado at Boulder to store lawn mowers, small tractors, irrigation equipment and other grounds maintenance equipment was destroyed by fire this afternoon.
No one was injured in the fire, however one member of the Housing Department staff is under observation for signs of possible smoke inhalation. The fire was extinguished by the Boulder Fire Department.
The fire started about 1:20 p.m. when a grounds worker turned on a small tractor in the shed at the Faculty-Staff Apartments at 19th and Athens streets. The shop was located west of 19th Street and the Boulder Creek bicycle-pedestrian path.
A mechanical problem in the tractor is believed to have ignited the fire, though exactly how the fire began is not yet known, said CU Police Chief Joe Roy.
The fire burned quickly because of the presence of gasoline in several hand and riding lawn mowers, Roy said. No other gasoline was stored in the shed.
The extent of damage has not been determined but the building and its contents were estimated to be 75 percent destroyed.
Although equipment will need to be replaced it is unlikely that the 60-year-old building will be rebuilt.
Roy said the fire was not related to two small lab fires that occurred in the last two weeks.