A towel placed over a smoking hair dryer led to a fire in a hair and nail salon Saturday evening in Saanich.
An employee at Brooke's Secret Nail and Hair Design at 4011 Quadra St. noticed smoke coming from a handheld hair dryer around 5:30 p.m. A towel was placed over the hair dryer to pat it down, but it quickly ignited and spread.
Saanich fire crews quickly attended the scene and knocked the fire down, with minimal structural damage to the surrounding businesses. Two neighbouring food outlets – Sarpino's Pizzeria and Indian Food Market – both suffered smoke damage.
Rich Pala, acting assistant chief for fire prevention with the Saanich Fire Department, says what caused the electrical fire is still unknown.
"What we don't know yet it whether it was the fan (in the hair dryer) that failed or the heating element," he said.
Fire, smoke and water damage to the building is estimated at $75,000, and damage to the contents in all three businesses is estimated at $50,000.
kslavin@saanichnews.com