Salvage yard fire spreads fast

The blaze engulfs cars, damages several homes and injures two people in Montclair.

A f ire at a salvage yard quickly spread to a nearby neighborhood in Montclair on Monday, damaging several homes and injuring two people.

The f ire started about 2 p. m. in the 4700 block of State Street, said Kelly Donaldson, a spokeswoman for the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District.

The f lames quickly spread, engulfing old cars and rubbish at the salvage yard, then charring nearby homes.

Two homes were destroyed and one was damaged. Three detached garag- es were also destroyed, Donaldson said.

“It’s a very large property,” Donaldson said, describ- ing the area as a dense, mixed- use area with homes and a commercial structure close together.

Live TV footage showed f irefighters standing on rooftops as black smoke filled the sky.

Dozens of f irefighters from across the region helped the Montclair Fire Department battle the blaze, including the Los Angeles and San Bernardino county f ire departments and departments from Ontario, Chino, Colton, Rialto and Rancho Cucamonga.

The fire was mostly extinguished by 6 p. m., and crews were standing by to douse hot spots.

One civilian suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to a hospital, Donaldson said. A firefighter with a minor injury also went to the hospital.

It’s unknown what sparked the blaze. The investigation will be handled by the Montclair Fire Department.

Photog r aphs by Mark Boster Los Angeles Times FIREFIGHTERS train water on a blaze that spread from a salvage yard in Montclair to a nearby neighborhood, destroying two homes and damaging several others. Three detached garages were also destroyed, said a Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District...

FIREFIGHTERS walk through the rubble of one of the destroyed homes. Dozens of f iref ighters from across the region assisted the Montclair Fire Department.