A maintenance man's attempt to use a heat gun to thaw out a water pipe in a Hill Section bar Friday morning set a small part of the building ablaze, prompting a response by city firefighters.
Scranton Assistant Fire Chief Paul Laskowski said the blaze, which began at about 9:30 a.m., moved inside a basement wall at Heil's Place, 1002 Wheeler Ave., up to the first floor.
Responding crews cut their way into the wall to douse the small fire, which left the building with "considerable" smoke damage but only a small amount of fire and water damage, Chief Laskowski said.
He said the business will have to close temporarily to repair the damage.
The accidental blaze began when a maintenance worker used a heat gun to try and melt a frozen pipe in the bar's basement, which Chief Laskowski said is a common cause during cold snaps.
"A lot of people don't realize heat guns get real hot," he said.
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