Blaze Guts Sepulveda Plant Holding Toxic Chemicals : Fire: The cleanup of acids, cyanides and metals is expected to take two days. Officials say the smoke did not pose a health hazard.

An industrial fire gutted a Sepulveda chrome-plating plant early Friday morning, leaving behind spilled and burned toxic chemicals that will take two days to clean up, fire officials said.

More than 150 firefighters were called to Superior Industries at 14728 Raymer St. at 5:40 a.m. when an off-duty firefighter on his way to work saw smoke, Assistant Chief James J. Mullen said.

Although large tanks of chemical solutions burned inside the plant, Los Angeles County Health Department officials said the smoke did not pose a public health threat. No evacuations were ordered in the surrounding industrial area.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire has not been determined.

County health officials said they would begin supervising the removal of chemical containers from the building late Friday. Officials predicted that it would take at least two days to remove the toxics, including containers of acids, cyanides and metals.

Superior Industries, a publicly held company, is a leading maker of aluminum wheels for major U.S. auto makers and also produces seat belts, steering wheels, and other auto accessories.

Fire broke out in the adjunct plant where about 15 people normally work. No one was inside at the time.

When the first firefighters arrived, flames were shooting through the roof of the one-story building. It took about an hour and 15 minutes for firefighters to control the blaze, Mullen said. Monetary damages had not been assessed Friday, officials said.

Firefighters did not enter the building while it was burning because of fears that the roof would collapse. Mullen said that heavy early morning fog prevented smoke from dissipating, increasing danger to firefighters and others if the smoke was toxic. As crews battled the flames, county health workers tested the smoke for toxic emissions but found no public health threat, said Gerald Munoz of the County Department of Health Services.

The runoff water, however, was laden with heavy metals such as nickel and toxic chromic acid, Munoz said. Several earthen dams were set up on Raymer Street to prevent the contaminated water from running into the storm drain or the Los Angeles River. Vacuum trucks later collected the water for disposal at a hazardous waste dump.