By SDCN Editor
Oceanside, CA–A major fire broke out from a large pile of metal at a recycling business Monday morning in Oceanside, fire officials said.
Oceanside fire crews received multiple 911 calls at 7 a.m. for a thick plume of black smoke rising at Aim Recycling Oceanside at 1030 West Airport Road near westbound State Route 76.
About 43 fire personnel from Oceanside, Camp Pendleton, Vista, and Carlsbad Fire Departments operated from a safe distance and set up hose streams for containment to ensure the fire did not extend off the property into the adjacent businesses or hillside. The site operator identified the metal pile as containing mostly recyclable household appliances and other light industry iron and aluminum equipment.
Engines and trucks utilized hose streams to complete an initial fire knockdown. A combination of diking techniques, including oil collecting socks, were employed to reduce runoff hazards. Dozers and tractors were used under the safety of hose streams to break apart and extinguish the metal pile, according to the Oceanside Fire Department in a news release.
San Diego County Environmental Health arrived at the scene for product sampling, and to assist with required notifications.
Fire crews extinguished the blaze in 8 hours. No civilians or firefighters were injured.
The Oceanside Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire.
