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Buildings evacuated due to scrapyard fire near downtown Sacramento

Buildings were evacuated and North B Street is expected to be closed for a few hours following a fire at a metal recycling facility near downtown Sacramento.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A fire broke out Thursday afternoon at a metal recycling center near downtown Sacramento, causing a plume of smoke to be seen for miles as firefighters battled the blaze.

The fire was quickly contained to a pile of crushed cars and appliances, according to a tweet from the Sacramento Fire Department. Crews expect to be at the facility throughout the evening, as they continue to use aerial ladders to surround and control the three alarm fire. Fire officials are urging people to use caution if in the area of near 12th and B Streets if they have to travel through the area.

North B Street will be closed for several hours as crews extinguish the fire.

While the yard was in operation, no injuries were reported. Fire Chief Gary Loesch said industrial buildings just north of the fire had to be evacuated. 

"At this time, we're monitoring the system, the scene and air quality to see if we have to expand our evacuations," Loesh said.

The cause of the fire has not been determined but Loesch believes it may have had to do with the crushed cars in the pile. 

"My best guess is, ya [sic] know, these crushed cars have a lot of fuels and oil still in them," Loesch said. "I would think that that's it possibly and until my investigators get here, I'm not sure. I would think that this had probably just some type of spontaneous combustion here."

Loesch says crews from Sacramento City, Sacramento Metro and Folsom Fire Departments are using heavy equipment to try to breakdown and remove the pile where the first is contained. 

In 2018, a fire at Sims Metal Management scrapyard was believed to have been caused by homeless people in the area.

Joseph Huerta, a photojournalist with ABC10's sister station WFAA, was near the scene and took to Twitter to share photos and videos of the smoke:

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