Firefighters were praised Monday for quickly halting a fire at a junkyard in Chula Vista that had the potential to spread quickly and burn for hours, according to fire officials.
The fire started at an automobile wrecking yard on Reed Court east of Beyer Way at about 11:20 a.m.
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WATCH HEREWitnesses in the area, including Vanessa Rollins, who works in a furniture manufacturing office in the building across the way, said they heard several explosions. At that point, Rollins knew it was time for her to evacuate the building.
She said firefighters arrived quickly at the scene.
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SIGN UP Chula Vista Fire Department Battalion Chief Darrell Roberts said crews from several agencies began to tackle the fire quickly and aggressively, while others checked the area for people who may not have evacuated on their own.
"We're not sure if those are tires exploding, fuel tanks, different machinery," Roberts said. "But those things are deadly, and it can definitely kill any civilian or firefighter if any of those projectiles come into contact with anybody that's around the area."
No firefighters or civilians were injured but several vehicles were burned. The auto fire sent a plume of smoke above the area, which prompted 911 calls from across the South Bay, Roberts said. Luckily, their aggressive approach meant firefighters were able to contain the blaze to a small area.
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"There was about upwards of over 100 vehicles that were about 20 feet away that were actively getting some heat. And if our firefighters weren't here timely, we would still be actively engaged in a firefight and we probably would have lost some of the adjoining structures," Roberts said.
A Hazardous Materials team was called in as was a fire investigator who would determine the cause of the blaze.
Rollins said there has been a fire in the same area before. She praised firefighters for their quick efforts to put out the fire.
"There's a lot of cars that could have exploded," Rollins said. "In my mind, that's what I was thinking."
