Industrial Fire Sends Smoke Plume, Fueled By Burning Plastics, Above LA County

ROSEMEAD, CA — An industrial storage yard in Rosemead caught fire Wednesday as plastics and other materials sent flames and a massive plume of black smoke into the air above the San Gabriel Valley, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fire was reported just before 3 p.m. on the 2600 block of River Avenue, west of Rosemead Boulevard.

Crews battled the flames defensively, pouring water on the building's exterior in an effort to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures. Thick smoke emanated from the fire and northeast across Rosemead Boulevard and toward the 10 Freeway, the department said.

Both roads remained open during the fire suppression effort.

The blaze was a three-alarm fire, with several companies of firefighters called in to help battle the fire.

It's unclear exactly what type of materials fueled the fire. Crews reported large amounts of plastics in the burning yard. It's also unclear what sparked the fire.

The fire was knocked down by 3:40 p.m.

City News Service contributed to this report.