FLAMES STRIKE AT RECYCLING CENTER STORED MATERIALS FEED BLAZE, WORSEN CONDITIONS FOR FIREFIGHTING CREWS.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer PALMDALE - Plumes of gray smoke and black ash filled the sky over Palmdale from a suspicious fire that broke out Tuesday at a downtown recycling center. Burning in stacked bales of paper and cardboard, the blaze took 65 firefighters more than two hours to knock down. Crews stayed behind for more than an hour to deal with hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. . ``We have high heat, low relative humidity relative humidity n. The ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air at a specific temperature to the maximum amount that the air could hold at that temperature, expressed as a percentage. and pretty good winds, so it's a fight,'' Battalion Chief Don DeYoung said. Fire officials said they were investigating the cause of the fire, which broke out after 1 p.m. Tuesday in a yard at Alameda Alameda (ăləmē`də, –mā`də), city (1990 pop. 76,459), Alameda co., W central Calif., on an island just off the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay; settled 1850, inc. as a city 1884. Metals Recycling Center in the 37800 block of 6th Street East. More than once, firefighters were forced back when flaming stacks of paper bales toppled. The paper bales weighed 500 to 1,000 pounds each and were stacked three high in columns, firefighters said. Because of the weight of the bales, the closeness of the stacks and the heavy smoke, firefighters had a tough time getting close to attack the flames. ``The bales are really heavy, and you have to be careful of getting people around those,'' DeYoung said. ``You have to take it slow because when they're on fire, it jeopardizes their structural integrity.'' A recycling center employee who didn't want his name used said he walked out of the main building and smelled something burning. He spotted the flames, grabbed a fire extinguisher fire extinguisher: see fire fighting. and tried to fight the blaze, but the wind fanned the small fire into high flames in seconds. Fire engine companies from all over Palmdale were sent to battle the blaze. Flying embers em·ber n. 1. A small, glowing piece of coal or wood, as in a dying fire. 2. embers The smoldering coal or ash of a dying fire. ignited ig·nite v. ig·nit·ed, ig·nit·ing, ig·nites v.tr. 1. a. To cause to burn. b. To set fire to. 2. To subject to great heat, especially to make luminous by heat. a grass fire in a field bordering the recycling yard. Firefighters had the grass fire out in minutes after it blackened black·en v. black·ened, black·en·ing, black·ens v.tr. 1. To make black. 2. To sully or defame: a scandal that blackened the mayor's name. 3. about a half acre. Firefighters also were concerned about a diesel fuel tank in the recycling yard. They directed a constant stream of water on the tank to keep the flames away. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Firefighters battle a blaze Tuesday at a recycling center in Palmdale. Hot weather and winds added to the difficulty. (2 -- color) Bales of recycled materials add fuel as crews knock down a fire at a recycling center on 6tgh Street East near Avenue R. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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