Fire at Rancho Cordova salvage yard burns dozens of vehicles

Dozens of vehicles at a salvage yard burned in a fire in the Rancho Cordova area on Friday evening.

The fire broke out along Recycle Road, between the Folsom South Canal and Sunrise Boulevard, around 5:45 p.m. 

Arriving crews found a well-involved fire at the salvage yard, which crews said started in the middle of the yard that had vehicles stacked about four high and spread to a grass fire to the west.

Sac Metro said about 50 to 100 cars were burned, as well as about two acres of grass. Explosions heard at the scene were from tires popping. 

"The smoke that is coming from these vehicles, it is very toxic," said Captain Mark Nunez with Sac Metro Fire. "Whether it be the motors, the oils, the materials inside." 

Nunez said crews took a defensive attack, meaning fire personnel attacked the fire from a distance. He also credited the wind for pushing the toxic smoke out of the area, allowing crews to knock the fire down quickly.

It's unknown if lithium-ion batteries burned, but crews will remain at the scene to check for hot spots. 

A helicopter and about 70 firefighters were among the personnel that responded to the fire. There were no reports of injuries.