A pallet fire spewed black smoke on Salt Lake City's west side Monday afternoon, causing about $20,000 in damage to nearby power lines.

The fire, which started about 1 p.m., burned at a business near 500 South and 3000 West. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze, Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Scott Freitag said.

The used pallets caught fire after employees illegally burned garbage in a nearby barrel, Freitag said.

The fire was contained to the yard of Low Price Pallets. No injuries were reported. Police are also investigating.

Freitag said the company was operating without a valid business license.