|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Peninsula residents are receiving precautionary automated calls from the San Mateo County community alert notification system informing them of the “large fire in the port area of Redwood City involving shredded automobiles,” Redwood City Fire Department Chief Gerald Kohlmann reported.
Kohlmann said the calls are being made to let people know that “they may experience intermittent smoke in their neighborhoods … (and) if it bothers them, (they should) stay indoors until the smoke lifts.”
Kohlmann stressed the informational call is not a formal recommendation to shelter in place.
“We don’t think this situation merits that level of a response,” he said. “We are not advising anyone to take any specific actions. Life can go on here.”
The Redwood City Fire Department is in contact with the San Mateo County Health Department and San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services regarding the fire and roving smoke.
Firefighters received word at 8:07 a.m. of the blaze burning at a scrap metal yard located at 699 Seaport Blvd. “where they dismantle cars and salvage metal,” Redwood City fire Capt. Bruce Meisenbach said.
A second alarm was called just before noon today.
While firefighters are making some headway fighting the fire, Kohlmann said it is still burning this afternoon.
The fire is generating a lot of smoke, Meisenbach reported, and firefighters are keeping in touch with the weather service to monitor the wind.
Seaport Boulevard between Seaport Court and Blomquist Street is closed so that firefighters can access a larger water main to help fight the fire, Meisenbach reported.
“In order to maximize the water system, (we) need to close the street,” Meisenbach said.
Meisenbach said there have been no reported injuries to civilians, yard workers or firefighters.
Kohlmann said firefighters are concentrating on putting the fire out rather than investigating its cause, however, he said they expect the cause to be accidental.
Today’s fire is not the first at the scrap metal yard, Kohlmann reported.
“We had one out here a couple of months ago that went out much easier.”
