Massive Fire at Tire Yard May Burn for 2 Weeks
A fire at a pit holding 6 million to 8 million tires is expected to burn for about two weeks, fire officials said.
No injuries have been reported. The blaze shot a thick plume of black smoke 1,000 feet into the air that could be seen as far away as Sacramento.
Authorities couldn’t put the fire out Friday because the tires are made of petroleum, said Rex Osborn, a spokesman for San Joaquin County. But the fire was not expected to spread, he said.
The fire began about 5 p.m. Friday at the 20-acre Royster’s Tire Farm and was expected to burn itself out and smolder for two weeks.
The tire yard, about five miles south of California 205 and half a mile from homes, is a former gravel pit where the tires were stored for recycling.
Nearby residents who suffer from chronic respiratory problems were advised to stay indoors, Osborn said.
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