Firefighters made quick work to knock down a fire at the Montgomery-Gibbs Airport in Kearny Mesa that shut down air traffic early Friday.
The fire started at about 3:45 a.m. at the small airport on Aero Drive. When San Diego Fire-Rescue crews arrived, heavy smoke was pouring out of a strip of metal hangars.
It was difficult for firefighters to gain access but once they did, crews were able to quickly contain flames, SDFD said.
Capt. Jason Shanley said the concern for firefighters was a couple of highly flammable 11,000-gallon jet fuel containers on the airport. Luckily, they were uninvolved.
The fire was controlled within 45 minutes. Four structures were affected and two were heavily damaged, Shanley said. The hangars were empty of planes but one vehicle was also destroyed.
The cause of the fire was not yet known. A Hazardous Materials team was there and lithium-ion batteries were found, SDFD said. An investigation would determine if they contributed to the fire.
Crews will remain on scene for several hours to mop up hot spots.