Smoky Redwood City Recycling Fire Extinguished
REDWOOD CITY (CBS SF) -- A fire at a Redwood City metal shredding facility was extinguished Monday morning and shelter-in-place orders were lifted.
The fire was reported around 1:20 p.m. Sunday at Sims Metal Management at 699 Seaport Blvd.
An outdoor pile of scrap recyclables was burning at the facility, where car parts and metal pieces are shredded.
The fire was controlled around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and was extinguished at 6:10 a.m. Monday, a fire dispatcher said.
The smoke created by the fire prompted authorities to issue health advisories for residents in southern San Mateo County, parts of Santa Clara County and southern Alameda County.
Alerts issued by the Redwood City and Palo Alto fire departments advised residents to stay inside and keep windows and doors closed.
The advisory was lifted around 6:20 a.m., Palo Alto police said.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District spokeswoman Lisa Fasano said there were high levels of particulate matter in the atmosphere on Sunday, but that those levels have "dropped significantly" Monday.
She said that on Sunday, the smoke was trapped close to the ground because of an inversion layer, a weather occurrence in which temperature increases with elevation rather than the other way around.
Smoke Lingers From Redwood City Fire Throughout Bay Area
In April 2007, another scrap fire occurred at the same facility, and a follow-up report by the air district found that high levels of chemicals, such as benzene and styrene, had been released.
Personnel from the air quality district are at the site of the fire Monday to investigate the effects of this fire.
"They are assessing the situation," she said.
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