Second alarm fire near I-8, Silsbee
IMPERIAL VALLEY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Imperial County Fire Department (ICFD) and Office of Emergency Services activated a second alarm fire near Interstate 8 and Silsbee.
Fire departments from Ocotillo, El Centro and Centinela State Prison responded to the fire for assistance.
About 17 firefighters were on the scene to contain the fire.
ICFD says the fire consumed roughly 5,000 empty onion crates used for farming and about 10 farming trailers.
Imperial County Battalion Chief Christian Guzman said it took firefighters about 30 to 45 minutes to control the fire.
The crates were moved away from the footprint where the fire started.
"So this was a big ole square of all those boxes set up like that and all these trailers caught fire from the radiant heat," Chief Guzman said.
It is still unknown how the fire started.
According to ICFD, there is plastic involvement, so the fire is creating high heat and smoke heading northeast.
ICFD asks drivers to avoid to allow for crewmembers to work freely as they put out the last of the hot spots.
The smoke from the plastic hydrocarbon crates is not good for the environment or to inhale.
The Imperial County Air Pollution Control District Manager, Thomas Brinkerhoff, says with any burn you can get different contaminants in the air.
Adding ozone is a great thing in the upper atmosphere helping protect us from harmful UV radiations but ground-level ozone can be an irritant for people.
"So with various pollutants like particular matter, those are tiny particles that can bypass your defense mechanisms through your nose and through your throat and your lungs," said Brinkerhoff.
Brinkerhoff says ozone emissions can exacerbate people who already have respiratory issues.
He says to take precautionary measures if there are elevated levels of air pollution and to make sure to check the air quality before doing any outdoor activity.
