A pump at a fuel tank farm near downtown San Diego caught fire late Tuesday afternoon, but crews extinguished it within minutes, a San Diego Fire-Rescue official said.
The fire was reported just after 5:15 p.m. at a commercial facility along Harbor Drive near the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, fire Capt. Jason Shanley said. He said the fire was at a fuel pump near big tanks with several thousands of gallons of jet fuel. Dark smoke could be seen for several blocks.
Shanley said the incident was upgraded to a three-alarm fire, a designation that brings in additional resources, but the extra crews were not needed. Shanley said the fire was out just before 5:40 p.m.
“Thank God the firefighters got that mitigated fast,” Shanley said. He later said, “It definitely could have been a lot worse, so we are grateful.”
A hazardous materials team was also called to evaluate any potential environmental issues. It was still on the scene as of the early evening.
Shanley extended a thank you to fire crews from Coronado and a nearby federal facility for assisting.