Jun 27, 2008

Fire burns pallets in Redwood City

By Sarah Frier / Daily News Correspondent

A two-alarm fire burned wooden pallets Thursday outside the Raychem Wire & Cable Plant in Redwood City and sent sparks across railroad tracks, igniting a fence.

No one was injured in the 3:12 p.m. fire, and damage to the plant site at 501 Oakside Ave. was minimal, fire officials said.

But the blaze took 30 minutes and several Redwood City and Menlo Park fire trucks to control, firefighter Randy Kelly said.

Tim Boicelli, who works in the area, called 911 and warned people inside the plant. "There was a little bit of smoke coming out by these 55-gallon jugs that say 'toxic' on the face," he said. "I had enough time to go tell the guys in the building to get out."

Raychem Wire & Cable is near Fair Oaks Elementary School. Owners of the plant could not be reached for comment.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, Kelly said.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, Kelly said they saw wooden pallets on fire and flames jump across train tracks, lighting up a fence near First Street.

A hazardous materials response team confirmed no hazardous materials were released into the environment, Kelly said.

"We are told there are some empty containers in there which may have toxic residue," he said. "There may have been some flammable liquid."

Boicelli said that chromium, a chemical used in heating wire, was stored at Raychem, but firefighters could not confirm that.

David Imay, a general contractor who owns a warehouse at 451 First St., said he saw flames ignite the grass near his yard.

"I'm just glad everything is OK and that nobody got hurt," Imay said.



E-mail Sarah Frier at sfrier@dailynewsgroup.com.