A massive fire erupted Thursday at a California recycling center that California regulators had designated for cleanup because of the toxic materials on the site that can cause birth defects and illness.
More than 100 firefighters from three departments—Sacramento, West Sacramento and Folsom—responded shortly after 3 p.m. to the blaze at the Sims Recycling Facility, KCRA-TV reports. Scrap metal from cars, electronics, appliances and other items are recycled at the center, but no water supply and the existence of toxic PCBs and motor oil have made it a cleanup target by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Sacramento Fire Chief Gary Loesch told KCRA that the department deployed 25 pieces of apparatus to the incident so that the heavy equipment could clear "a very large pile of junk cars and appliances that have been crushed up." As firefighters tried to control the blaze, witnesses said thick black smoke blocked the sun at time.
"The flames were over 50 feet high and a lot of smoke going up into the air," Allison Johnson, a passer-by outside of the center, told KCRA. "It was really bad."
Crews worked for around two and a half hours to put out the fire, which was extinguished shortly after 6 p.m.
Although the facility is still running, the state has fined the center for violations. The DTSC is looking into establishing a land covenant so that the toxic materials are cleaned up, KCRA added.
