Chino fire at green waste center burns overnight

By Neil Nisperos 

Staff Writer

CHINO -- Firefighters worked Monday to extinguish two 25-foot stacks of green waste at a recycling center in the city.

The piles, which consisted of branches, palm fronds and other waste, started Sunday at Vander Eyk Dairy at the corner of Hellman Avenue and Chino Corona Road.

"These types of fires burn typically for long periods of time because the material is densely packed, and, in order to get to the inside of the fire and to be extinguished from within, the piles need to be broken apart," said Massiel Ladron De Guevara, spokeswoman for the Chino Valley Independent Fire District.

Investigators have not confirmed what caused the fire, which started about 6 p.m. Sunday.

No injuries or property damage was reported.

At least 16 Chino Valley Independent firefighters and additional personnel from Riverside County Fire Department worked on the blaze. They used heavy equipment to break the piles apart and spread the debris out, officials said.

As of Monday, the fire has been 70 percent contained. Heavy equipment use was suspended overnight because of darkness. The fire department expects full containment  by mid Tuesday.

neil.nisperos@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-9356