Crews Extinguish Fire At Recycling Facility Near Benicia

SOLANO COUNTY, CA -- Firefighters extinguished a wood, bark and mulch fire Monday evening that had been burning for nearly 12 hours at the CCL Organics recycling facility near Benicia, Cordelia Fire Protection District Chief Keith Martin said Tuesday.

The fire at 1460 Goodyear Road parallel to Interstate Highway 680 in unincorporated Solano County was reported around 3:45 a.m. Monday. Firefighters cleared the scene around 5 p.m.

The core of the fire consisted of 75-by-150 feet of logs and tree stumps within a main debris pile that was 200-by-100 feet, Martin said.

Firefighters peeled back and spread out the mulch on top of the debris fire to get to the tree stumps and logs that took four hours to extinguish. Overhaul operations took another three hours, according to Martin.

Access to the fire was hampered by wind-blown smoke and embers near Highway 680, Martin said.

Forty firefighters responded to the fire. The cause is likely the spontaneous combustion of the mulch and compost, Martin said.

Fire crews initially thought the fire would burn itself out by Wednesday, but Martin said his goal was to get the fire out as soon as possible.

"I appreciate all the help we received," he said.

Firefighters from Benicia, Fairfield, Vallejo, Dixon, Vacaville Fire Protection District, American Canyon, Suisun Fire Protection District, Travis Air Force Base, Cal Fire and two water tenders from Napa County also
responded. The California Highway Patrol and Solano County Sheriff's Office also assisted.

By Bay City News Service

Image via Cordelia Fire Protection District/Facebook