About 100 Vehicles Burn in Salvage Yard in Modesto, CA
The Modesto Bee
(TNS)
A fire that burned about 100 salvaged vehicles at a Modesto auto wrecking yard early Sunday drew a large, multi-agency response, but firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to nearby homes and businesses, officials said.
The fire was reported at around 3:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Crows Landing Road, where Modesto Fire Department crews were initially dispatched for a reported vehicle fire. While firefighters were en route, additional information prompted the call to be upgraded to a commercial structure fire response.
When crews arrived, they found an auto wrecking yard with about 100 vehicles on fire.
Firefighters immediately focused on protecting nearby mobile homes and neighboring businesses while working to contain the blaze. The fire was brought under control in about 80 minutes, and no injuries or damage to neighboring buildings or mobile homes were reported, according to the Modesto Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Jim Black said the vehicles involved were salvaged, inoperable and awaiting recycling rather.
“They’re crushed, rusted-out hulks of old cars on a junkyard,” Black told The Bee.
Black said the fire began deep within the property, creating logistical challenges for firefighters. Narrow access routes through the wrecking yard required crews to maneuver engines into position and stretch long hose lines before they could begin attacking the flames.
He said the fire initially involved about 20 salvaged vehicles before spreading to roughly 100 as firefighters worked to reach the seat of the blaze.
The regional response included eight fire engines, three truck companies, three water tenders, three battalion chiefs, the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit, Westport Fire District, Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District, Modesto Police Department, California Highway Patrol and American Medical Response.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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