A South Fresno business could face fines after a massive fire that burned for more than eight hours.
The fire started at around 11 o'clock Wednesday morning.
It burned more than two acres on Orange Avenue at Church Avenue near Calwa at a company called SO EX recycling.
Two fire fighters were injured. One was taken to the hospital. The other was treated on site.
Three different fire departments fought this three alarm fire.
Two acres filled with recycled carpet and clothing burned.
A huge cloud of black smoke swirled up into the air.
The fire started in the back of SO EX Recycling.
“Plant personnel were using a grinder to cut some metal. And while they were cutting the metal they noticed that they started a fire in the grass,” said John Dominguez with CAL FIRE.
The fire spread to the bundles of fabric - stacked fifteen feet high.
Fire fighters attacked it from the ground and above.
Brandon Markle was stationed on top of the ladder truck.
“They put us up there so we can get a better vantage point of the whole fire. You can see it more than the guys on the ground so we can see all the hot spots and hit all the hot spots,” Markle said.
Fire fighters weren't the only ones who wanted a better view of the fire.
“I'm a fire chaser so I had to jump in my car and come out here,” said fire spectator Steve Moseley.
People snapped pictures with their phones.
But for fire crews - it was serious business: keeping the flames from the warehouse and putting the fire out.
And this isn't the only time Fresno County fire crews have been out to this facility.
In December 2007, fifty bales of cotton burned when the company was known as Chamlian enterprises.
The last time the Fresno area saw a recycling fire even close to this was in January 2003 when fire burned at the Archie Crippen Excavation Company. It took a month to put that fire out
SO EX could be hit with fines and part of the cost of fighting the fire.
