MURRIETA – The Murrieta Fire Department has put out a garbage fire on an empty lot reported just after 9 am, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, in the industrial section of Murrieta just off of Jefferson Road and Corning Drive. Smoke filled the air for miles in Murrieta.
Juan Jaquez, the driver of a Waste Management truck, was driving eastbound on Corning after picking up loads from local warehouses.
“I smelled burning and then saw smoke rising up out of the back of my truck,” said Jaquz, “They taught me to look for an empty space far from buildings and houses to drop the load.”
He came upon an empty lot at the corner of Kelvin Court and Corning, drove twenty yards up and immediately dumped the burning load.
The lot is just behind the building housing the Southwest Riverside County Association of REALTORS®. An announcement was made to the group at their regular Tuesday marketing meeting that there was smoke, but no imminent danger.
The Murrieta Fire Department was on scene within minutes by 9:09 a.m. with seven firefighters, a truck company, and engine company, and a battalion chief, according to on-scene Fire Captain David Perez.
“The fire is under control and we are making sure all of it is out. We should have all this taken care of within one hour total,” he said.
The one-acre property was purchased just three months ago by Hamel Development.
“I’m glad everyone is safe,” said property owner Grant Hamel, “My concern is the clean-up.”
The property is available for development.
Tony Guzman, Manager for Waste Management, was also promptly on scene.
‘The driver did the correct thing just as he was trained, to find an empty space as quickly as possible far from people and houses,” Guzman said, adding that he made arrangements for Waste Management to send containers and a skip loader to take care of clean up.
He also assured the property owner that they would get an environmental report and a hazmat “clean bill of health.”
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