Richmond Fire Latest: Junkyard Fire Out; Richmond Parkway Reopens

RICHMOND, CA — Richmond Parkway has reopened after being closed for several hours on Friday because of a huge fire at an auto-wrecking yard in Richmond. The closure caused "significant delays for those who use the Parkway to get between 580 and 80," according to the CHP.

A Public Health Advisory was issued for areas of Richmond and El Cerrito as 200 cars burned, sending thick, black, acrid smoke billowing into the air.

A shelter-in-place was also issued for residents near Gertrude Avenue and Richmond Parkway.

It's not clear what started the fire, which burned about 200 cars, but it appears to be accidental, according to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Robert Marshall.

No injuries were reported and no structures burned, Marshall said.

The fire was listed as one-alarm but required additional, specialized crews and equipment from the nearby Chevron Richmond Refinery. The Chevron crews provided the foam fire retardant that was the
key to eventually dousing the blaze, Marshall said.

Image via CHP Oakland, BCN contributed to this story

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