By Barbara Arrigoni
The Oroville Mercury Register
GRIDLEY, Calif. — A hot fire that spewed dense smoke northeast of Gridley Monday afternoon burned a waste transfer station on Ord Ranch Road, damaging about 50 percent of the building.
Cal Fire-Butte County Battalion Chief Mike Brown said the fire apparently started in a large area where old computers, printers and other electronic waste had been piled.
Several passersby reported the fire to officials, with the first call around 12:55 p.m. Brown said the first firefighters to arrive weren’t sure what was burning, because the smoke was so heavy, black and thick.
“Because of the amount of plastic, there was a considerable amount of smoke and heat,” said Brown as crews worked nearby.
The heat was intense enough to melt portions of the fiberglass roof and do structural damage to the building. A light fixture on the building’s north side was melted.
Firefighters had the blaze out within an hour. Smoke lingered afterward, and the pungent aroma of burned plastic and other chemicals permeated the air as crews raked through the debris and began removing melted, charred hunks.
Brown said he isn’t sure how a fire would have started in a pile of electronics equipment.
“We can’t rule out somebody doing it on purpose,” he said. “We don’t know what else was in there.”
He said crews would remain at the scene for awhile, sifting through the debris for more than burned computers and such.
“Whatever was here, was here for awhile,” Brown said. “We’ll go through the debris to find out what might have been in with the electronics. It could be that smoldering ashes from somebody’s garage got mixed in.”
There were no witnesses. The transfer facility was closed for the day, but a firefighter told Brown the bay doors were open when the crew arrived. The gates were reportedly locked initially.
Brown said investigators would sift through the debris and eliminate possible causes.
“Eventually we’ll get to the point where it will be a challenge to rule out human cause, either purposely or accidentally,” he said.
The transfer station is operated by Waste Management, Inc. under a lease agreement with the city of Gridley. The city leases the property from Butte County.
The building has four bays separated by a deep, lower garbage bin bay. Waste is dropped off at the facility, and then placed into the bins and hauled to the landfill on Neal Road, though some items are separated and salvaged.
Monday afternoon Gridley official Robert Hickey confirmed the city’s lease, but couldn’t say who holds liability. He said he hadn’t been out to the site yet.
“We’ll let the fire department do its job and meanwhile, I’ll be checking the contract and go out there as soon as the fire department gives the OK.”
Grant Hunsicker, county interim director of general services, told the Mercury-Register in a phone call Monday afternoon the city of Gridley is responsible for improvements made to the property, but he added, “without having spoken to city officials, I don’t know what their intentions are, now that there has been a fire.”
“It’s something we’ll have to look at,” Hunsicker said.
Biggs-Gridley Fire Department, Sutter City Fire Department and El Medio Fire Department assisted with the blaze.
Brown gave an early estimate of $15,000 to $20,000 in damage.
Copyright 2010 Oroville Mercury Register