Crews contain Fresno junkpile blaze

Fire engines will be at the site for the next few weeks to extinguish hot spots.

By Jennifer Fitzenberger
The Fresno Bee

(Updated Wednesday, February 12, 2003, 5:20 AM)

Acrid smoke no longer billows from the Archie Crippen Excavation junk fire in southwest Fresno, officials said Tuesday.

Firefighters fully contained the 26-day-old fire about 11 a.m., bringing sighs of relief from city, county, state and federal officials.

"It was a team effort," said Mayor Alan Autry, dwarfed by a towering pile of charred rubble. "They did one heck of a job in difficult circumstances to get this fire under control."

Officials pledged to determine how to prevent such a fire from happening again. The mayor's task force on the fire, which will meet tonight for the first time, will report findings to the Fresno City Council.

"We still have much work ahead to do," said Council Member Cynthia Sterling, who will lead the task force.

The 25-foot-tall pile of wood, concrete, carpet, mattresses, automobile parts and other debris ignited Jan. 11 by spontaneous combustion. The firefighting effort cost about $2.5 million.

The City Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution to extend the local emergency declared last month. It will revisit the issue in two weeks.

Dan Hobbs, city manager, said the action ensures there is no question among state and federal officials that Fresno considers the fire an emergency situation and, therefore, remains eligible for state and federal assistance and reimbursement.

Also, city officials say the action gives the city manager power to close roads in the area or open and close buildings controlled by the city, as well as the authority to obtain any supplies or equipment needed for the emergency.

Though the fire is contained, flareups still are possible, interim Fire Chief Joel Aranaz said. "Can we say the fire is definitely out? No, we can't. We may run into some hot spots still," he said.

Fire engines will be on site for the next few weeks to douse hot spots. About 20 workers will be there each day, down from 80 per day during the fire's peak.

Firefighters soon will break the pile into smaller chunks, and workers will build access roads through the 4.8-acre site.

The state Integrated Waste Management Board will test the rubble to decide whether it is suitable for a landfill.

It's unclear how long the pile will remain on Nielsen Avenue west of Marks Avenue or how it will be removed.

"Right now, the goal is to find out what is here," said Michelle Rogow, on-scene coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Rogow said workers will monitor the pile for carbon monoxide, which might indicate combustion.

Firefighters found several tanks buried in the rubble, none of which contained hazardous materials.

Rogow said an oil-like substance found in one of the tanks was determined to be water.

Staff writer John Ellis contributed to this report. The reporter can be reached at jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com or 441-6313.