Fire Erupts at California Recycler

On Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 12:17 p.m., units of the City of Santa Clara Fire Department responded to ECS Refining, a recycler of electronic waste, located at 705 Reed St., for reports of a fire on the company's property. Within a matter of minutes, a massive column of black smoke had built above the facility and could be seen from miles away, as fire consumed electronic scrap piled high on pallets within the company's yard. Authorities ordered workers and area residents to shelter in place due to the toxicity of the smoke generated by the burning materials. City of Santa Clara Fire Department Battalion Chief Randy Titus immediately called for additional resources, leading to the dispatch of units from the San Jose Fire Department as well as members of the Santa Clara County Overhead Team to assist with fire suppression operations. The fire continued to smolder hours after the initial call as firefighters used two front loaders to break down the recyclables during an extensive overhaul operation. This was the third fire in as many years at ECS Refining, with the origin of all three fires remaining unknown. There were no reported injuries during this four-alarm fire.