Watch: Junkyard Fire Sends Black Smoke Over Southern San Diego

SAN DIEGO — Rows of junked vehicles became engulfed in flames Wednesday afternoon at an Otay Mesa recycling center. In this video as it appears on the Neighbors app, the fire sent a column of thick black smoke over southern San Diego.

The blaze sparked about 3:15 p.m. in the 6400 block of Datsun Street, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Authorities shut down a section of the street fronting the junkyard along with stretches of nearby roads while firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, according to San Diego police.

Nearly 70 personnel fought the blaze through the late afternoon and into the early evening.

Ring, the owner of the Neighbors app, is a Patch advertiser. Patch received no compensation for this article.

– City News Service contributed to this report.