A fire that erupted in a car crusher at a metal- recycling yard near El Cajon spread across the facility Wednesday afternoon, sending a column of thick black smoke over eastern San Diego County.
The blaze broke out shortly after 1:30 p.m. at All Ways Metal Recycling in the 1400 block of North Magnolia Avenue in the unincorporated Bostonia community, according to San Miguel Fire & Rescue.
Crews were still working to douse the flames as of 2:20 p.m., SMFR Deputy Chief James Marugg said.
Police shut down Magnolia Avenue between Cypress Lane and Greenfield Avenue as a safety precaution, and county hazardous-materials personnel were called in to deal with possibly toxic runoff, Marugg said.
No injuries were reported.