2 injured after fire sweeps through Montclair recycling yard and neighborhood, destroying homes

A fire at a salvage yard quickly spread to a nearby neighborhood in Montclair on Monday afternoon, damaging several homes and injuring two people.

The fire started about 2 p.m. in the 4700 block of State Street, said Kelly Donaldson, a spokeswoman for the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District.

The flames quickly spread, engulfing old cars and rubbish at the salvage yard, then charring nearby homes. Two homes were destroyed and one home was damaged. Three detached garages were also destroyed, Donaldson said.

“It’s a very large property,” Donaldson said, describing the area as a dense, mixed-use area with homes and a commercial business close together.

Live TV footage showed firefighters standing on rooftops of homes as a plume of black smoke filled the afternoon sky.

Dozens of firefighters from across the region arrived to help the Montclair Fire Department battle the blaze, including the Los Angeles and San Bernardino county fire departments, as well as the fire departments from Ontario, Chino, Colton, Rialto and Rancho Cucamonga.

By 6 p.m., the fire was mostly extinguished, and fire crews were standing by to douse smoldering hot spots.

One civilian was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation, Donaldson said. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital with a minor injury.

It’s unknown what sparked the blaze. The investigation into the cause of the fire will be handled by the Montclair Fire Department.

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