Grassfire Burns Chemicals, Slows Traffic
Grassfire Burns Chemicals, Slows Traffic
21 August 2011
published by www.turnto23.com
USA — A grassfire in central Bakersfield got into a building storing chemicals Saturday afternoon, and the smoke slowed traffic way down on Highway 99.
As traffic crawled through the smoke southbound on Highway 99, fire crews had to shut down the on-ramp to Golden State Highway as they worked.
Fire crews said there were actually two fires. The first was burning near Landco Road, along some train tracks in that area. That fire burned about seven acres.
The second fire was on Standard Drive, and got into the railroad ties and other items being behind some businesses, including an outbuilding at B.C. Labs, a chemical company.
Environmental health investigators say flames got close to some “chlorinated hazardous waste,” but it was contained and nothing was released.
Both fires were contained and traffic returned to normal.
