UPDATE (11:11 a.m.) – Betteravia Road in Santa Maria is now reopened after a fire that broke out at SA Recycling in Santa Maria Saturday morning.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Santa Maria Fire said most of the burned vehicles did not contain fuel but plastics and other materials in the vehicles may have contributed to the flames.
Santa Maria Fire said the estimated cost of the damage to the facility is between $50,000 and $60,000.
Damage to the facility’s compacting machine was also reported. The machine is worth nearly $1,000,000.
The recycling center is closed until further notice.
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Dozens of vehicles burned in a fire that broke out Saturday morning at a Santa Maria recycling center, firefighters say.
The fire was reported just after 7 a.m. along the 1600 block of W. Betteravia.
No injuries were reported and no structures were damaged but Santa Maria Fire says about 50 vehicles burned.
Santa Maria police responded to provide traffic control in the area. Traffic was expected to be impacted for a few hours.
The fire created a large plume of black smoke visible throughout much of the city.
This morning your E2, E4, T1, E3, E5, B212 SMPD, and AMR responded to a fire in a recycling center. Approximately 50 vehicles burned. No extension to neighboring property or structures pic.twitter.com/NmFPqpfzMP
— Santa Maria Fire (@SMFDHQ) July 20, 2019
