June 08--An industrial structure fire started by an explosion Friday in Atascadero caused $800,000 in damage and took 50 firefighters two hours to get under control, according to the Atascadero Fire Department.
The fire was reported by numerous people around 5:30 p.m. near the 6937 Sycamore Road complex.
Initial reports said that a loud explosion was heard in the area.
When crews arrived to the scene, they found the roughly 7,000-square-foot complex engulfed in flames.
It took two hours to control the blaze.
The heavy response was in part due to fears of hazardous material at the site and the potential for it to contaminant the nearby Salinas River.
The businesses in the complex include Fail Safe Fiberglass, Apple Valley Insulation and an arcade and game storage unit.
The fire -- still under investigation -- started near Fail Safe Fiberglass.
Copyright 2013 - The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
