Hazardous Chemicals Released During Fire At Metal Plating Facility In Oceanside

OCEANSIDE, CA — A commercial structure fire involving hazardous materials damaged an industrial building, affected several small businesses, and left two firefighters and another person with minor chemical exposure in Oceanside, authorities said.

Firefighters from Oceanside, Vista and San Marcos fire departments responded to reports of a structure fire around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday in a metal plating facility at 2525 Jason Court, near Oceanside Boulevard and Temple Heights Drive, according to the Oceanside Fire Department.

The building housed several businesses, but all employees were able to evacuate safely before crews arrived, officials said.

Firefighters saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the building.

"Employees confirmed the presence of potentially large amounts of hazardous materials," the department said in a news release. "Out of caution, entry was limited to a few crews to avoid unnecessary exposure. Crews attacked the fire from the exterior while truck companies ventilated the roof, and additional teams searched unaffected areas for occupants and fire extension."

The main fire was contained to the center occupancy, according to the department. Due to exposure to smoke, water runoff and chemicals, several responders required on-scene decontamination.

San Diego Fire-Rescue's HAZMAT team and San Diego County Environmental Health responded to assess the situation and advise on hazardous materials containment and decontamination procedures.

Two firefighters and one employee were evaluated and released for minor chemical exposure.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation by the Oceanside Fire Department.