Warehouse Burns Near I-215, Lithium-Ion Batteries Inside: Cal Fire

CORONA, CA—A warehouse containing lithium-ion batteries ignited overnight and was still burning Thursday morning, firefighters say. The building sits west of the I-215 Freeway, south of Alessandro Boulevard, across from the March Air Reserve Base.

Lithium-ion batteries are manufactured at the facility, and Cal Fire is treating the blaze as a Hazardous Materials fire. According to Cal Fire, county environmental health personnel are monitoring the air quality.

Just before 1:30 a.m., Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department firefighters responded to the blaze in the 14000 block of Meridian Parkway. As of 8:15 a.m., the fire was still being battled, the department said.

Shortly afterward, a hazardous materials team was requested. They said firefighters from the Riverside City Fire Department and the Corona Fire Department soon arrived to assist, as did the County Environmental Health team.

"Environmental Health officers are monitoring the column of smoke, due to the contents of the building, and they will be on hand to assist in cleanup as well," Cal Fire Spokesperson Maggie Cline De La Rosa told Patch.

"Crews will be actively fighting the fire for several hours," she said.

Meridian Parkway was closed from Alessandro Boulevard on the north end to Cactus Avenue on the south during the firefight and cleanup.