Haz Mat Team Called To Massive Fire In Camarillo

CAMARILLO (CBS)— Fire crews worked for hours before they were able to knock down a massive blaze at a farm supply business in Ventura County.

The blaze ignited at the storage lot shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday and was extinguished late that evening. The lot is surrounded by agricultural fields near Sturgis Road in Camarillo.

Plumes of thick, black smoke were visible to motorists on the nearby Ventura (101) Freeway and to residents miles away.

When crews first arrived, they found a tractor-trailer rig engulfed in flames and the fire quickly spread to nearby pallets loaded with cardboard. The blaze eventually travelled to a building that stored agricultural chemicals and burned close to several propane tanks, forcing crews to pull back and fight the fire from a distance.

Shortly after 5 p.m., loud banging sounds filled the air when the fire reached the propane tanks.

Environmental officials were monitoring air samples from the fire to determine if smoke contained any toxic substances.

The fire resulted in temporary closure of the Camarillo airport control tower, several downed power lines, traffic delays and road closures through the afternoon.

The storage facility is located east of Oxnard, about a mile or so west of the Camarillo Airport.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)