On the morning of August 27, 2007, the City of Oxnard Fire Department (OFD)notified OSC Robert Wise of a fire on a flat bed truck inside the smelter property. OSC Wise then contacted the scrap metal recovery company to find out information. The scrap metal representative stated that people were illegally cutting scrap. OSC Wise then notified the Spill Phone Duty Office that he was responding at the request of Oxnard Fire Department.
OSC Wise and START arrived on-site at approximately 1400 hours. The fire was out and the OFD Fire suppression unit and Arson investigator had demobilized from the site. The fire was in the north parking lot and not inside the main smelter property, no Halaco contaminants were involved in the fire.
The subcontactor to the scrap metal company responsible for the recycling the truck involved in the fire was on-site recovering the burned out wreck. This person claimed that they had not been cutting on the wreck this morning. However, the cutting gases on-site were in the north parking lot were his. The cause of the fire and those responsible is under investigation by OFD Arson.
The scrap metal company is continuing the remove the scrap metal. Due to today's incidents and information provided today by OFD of numerous fires as a result of the scrapping operations, START oversight will be increased from periodically to every day.
1. The scrap metal operations are generating a large amount of combustible debris including oil and grease from some of the equipment. OSC Wise will be sending a letter to the scrap metal company directing them to get rid of this debris in accordance with the purchase agreement with the bankruptcy court.
2. Security on-site is a reoccurring problem. According to OFD, Oxnard Police Department and the scrapper, there are numerous breakins. The scrapper has stated that they are replace the locks every morning because they have been cut. OSC Wise has recommended 24-hour security or a on-site caretaker.
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