'Fireballs' erupt in Maywood warehouse blaze

MAYWOOD — More than 75 firefighters battled an explosive 3-alarm fire at a Maywood warehouse today, a blaze that led to a power outage in the area.

The blaze in the 3700 block of Fruitland Avenue just a few miles east of the Long Beach (710) Freeway was reported at 2:30 a.m., according to Robert Diaz of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The warehouse serves Gemini Plastic Enterprises.

Chemical reaction between water and magnesium on hand produced, in essence, “fireballs,” leading to a series of strong explosions, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Gustavo Medina told CBS2.

Medina said firefighters were carrying out an “aggressive but defensive attack” on the structure, which was considered non-salvageable. While the blaze had spread to a second structure, Medina said firefighters were able to contain the blaze to just one as their efforts progressed.

Despite the danger, Medina said before dawn that he had received no reports of injuries stemming from the incident, and that “everything’s ruing smoothly at this time.”

Precautionary evacuations were being carried out off 52nd and 53rd Street, according to reports from the scene.

South Downey Road was reported shut down in both directions at Fruitland Avenue.

The blaze led to more than 3,100 customers in the area losing power at 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, a Southe Califoia Edison representative said, adding that services were expected to resume around noon.