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BEAVER DAM - Firefighters examine the remains of a workshop after it was burned down in a fire caused by a malfunctioning laser etching machine. Photo courtesy of Box Elder County Fire Marshal

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BEAVER DAM - Firefighters examine the remains of a workshop after it was burned down in a fire caused by a malfunctioning laser etching machine. Photo courtesy of Box Elder County Fire Marshal

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BEAVER DAM – A small business owner’s livelihood was destroyed after a structure fire caused by a mechanical malfunction burned it down Friday afternoon.

Fire crews from Box Elder and Cache Counties responded to the fire at Country Lazer around 2 p.m., Box Elder Fire Marshal Corey Barton said.

Country Lazer is a wood engraving business that uses automated lasers to cut images into various objects.

Barton said that while the operator of the machine was away, there was a malfunction and the laser caught the piece of wood it was cutting on fire and the building was quickly engulfed in flames.

When firefighters arrived they knew the building was a total loss, so they worked to protect the adjacent home where the owners lived, Barton said. The building’s roof collapsed before crews started putting water on it.

The owners were not injured in the fire. The fire caused minimal damage to the house, melting the vinyl siding.

Barton said the damage amounted to about $100,000, but fortunately the owners were covered by insurance.

Contact reporter Andreas Rivera at 801-625-4227 or arivera@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @SE_Andreas.