MERCER TWP — A welding truck caught fire inside a garage this morning at the Allegheny Mineral Corp. limestone quarry plant.

The blaze was snuffed out quickly and no one was injured. But the one-ton truck was badly damaged.

“It’s pretty much totaled,” said Chief Steve Bickel of the Harrisville Volunteer Fire Department. “But the equipment on it looked like it was salvageable.”

Authorities said they suspect an electrical malfunction in or around the engine started the blaze shortly before 6 a.m.

An employee arriving for work discovered the fire and called 911. The initial call was for a structure fire, prompting firefighters from two Mercer County departments to assist the Harrisville department.

The Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company also was called to provide a tanker since there are no fire hydrants in the area.

The garage, a 200-foot-by-50-foot building, was full of smoke when the fire crews got there.

“The truck was burning pretty good,” Bickel said.

The vehicle was doused with water and the fire was out in minutes. Damage was contained to the truck, valued at an estimated $30,000.

But the outcome could have been a lot worse, fire officials said, noting the garage contained another welding truck along with acetylene tanks and gas cans.

A telephone call to the plant was not immediately returned.

Harrisville firefighters were back at their station about 8 p.m.