OTAY MESA, Calif. (KGTV) -- A fire at a South Bay auto recycling yard burned rows of junked vehicles and sent plumes of thick black smoke into the air Wednesday afternoon.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department tweeted around 3:15 p.m. that a fire had sparked in the 6400 block of Datsun Street and prompted nearby road closures.
Thick black smoke rising from the Tito’s Metal junkyard was seen for miles as dozens of firefighters responded to the incident.
While firefighters controlled the fire and stopped it from raging out of control, some crews stayed at the scene and worked through the night to douse remaining spot fires.
Fire officials said some materials inside the business were potentially hazardous, forcing firefighters to use other options besides aerial water drops. Officials said water drops would lead to dangerous conditions for ground crews.
According to the owner of the yard, the fire started after one of their machines caught fire and quickly spread.
All eight employees at the recycling yard were able to safely evacuate.
Investigators are looking into the cause of the blaze.
Watch video of the scene in the player below:
