SPRING VALLEY, Calif. -- A firefighter was injured while battling a large blaze at a recycling plant in Spring Valley Tuesday morning that spread to at least one nearby home.
The fire was reported just after 6:30 a.m. at a plant located at Helix Street and Bancroft Drive, near State Route 94.
Flames and plumes of black smoke were visible from miles away. Four homes at the top of a hill adjacent to the plant were evacuated, one of which sustained damage.
San Miguel Fire District and Cal Fire crews responded to find piles of recycled material ablaze. A Cal Fire official said the plant contained about one-half acre’s worth of combustible material, including stacked cardboard and shredded paper.
While battling the fire, one Cal Fire crew member was injured when a cardboard bale fell onto him. He was carried out of the burn area on a makeshift gurney and transported to a hospital with possible leg and shoulder fractures, Cal Fire Capt. Isaac Sanchez said.
The fire was extinguished by 8:20 a.m. Firefighters remained on scene mopping up hot spots and monitoring for flare ups, Sanchez said.
Freeway traffic was not affected. However, Helix Street was shut down between Campo Road and Kenwood Drive.
The cause of the fire was not immediately confirmed.
