By Jose Herrera and Michael Picarella
Signal Staff Writers
Thick black smoke could be seen in the sky above the Valencia Industrial Center as a commercial fire broke out on Avenue Scott and Anza Drive Thursday evening.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Supervisor Flores said firefighters knocked down the fire at 6:11 p.m. and there was no damage to the interior of the commercial building.
According to emergency responder radio dispatch traffic, initial reports indicated a fire at a single-story commercial building located at 25041 Anza Drive at approximately 5:54 p.m., which prompted a full response from the Fire Department.
Flores confirmed there was an exterior pallet fire in the yard behind the building, with no spread to the structure. There were no injuries or additional damage to the building, she confirmed.
Cynthia Richardson, co-owner of TMC Plastics — where the blaze occurred — came to building after she received a call from an employee.
“One was here and he saw it start outside,” Richardson said. “He saw it starting and called 911.”
According to Richardson, they have no idea as to what could have caused the blaze, but she thinks homeless individuals who live near the back of the building may have started it.
TMC Plastics has been in the Valencia Industrial Center since 1988, she said. Luckily, when she first pulled up to the building, at first glance, it seemed nothing important was damaged or destroyed, she added.
“It looks like it didn’t [spread] to the building. It looks like it was just the yard itself,” Richardson said.
