Hundreds of cars scorched in Richmond auto wrecking yard fire
RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- Dozens upon dozens of cars were scorched in a massive fire at an auto wrecking yard in Richmond on Friday, blanketed by fire suppressing foam.
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The foam is everywhere, the wind carrying it all over the place almost like it is snowing. It can be corrosive - you want to wash it off yourself and your car. But it should dissipate on its own.
The foam did its job. They used it to put out the massive fire that gave out huge amount of dark, black smoke. It was black because of the hydrocarbons the fire was burning, plastics and oils from the cars.
PHOTOS: Cars go up in flames at Richmond auto wrecking yard
This fire started at 7:10 a.m. at Deal Auto Wrecking, a car junk yard, at Gertrude Avenue and Richmond Parkway.
Residents living across from the junk yard were told to shelter-in-place. Some said they felt very anxious about their health as the smoke passed over their homes.
Firefighters estimate that hundreds of cars burned. It took them about three hours to put the fire out. Water wasn't getting the job done so they turned to the foam to suppress it.
It was very windy in the area, so they extended the shelter-in-place order to the Richmond Hills and to El Cerrito.
They have air quality experts on hand monitoring the air. Fish and Game is here to check on the environmental impact. That will be an ongoing situation but there are no reports of concerns at this point.
The fire is under investigation but the fire marshal said he thinks it will be deemed accidental, nothing suspicious.
