Did you smell smoke in Santa Ana this afternoon? We now know what happened. Earlier this afternoon, firefighters responded to a fire in the outside storage area of a commercial property in Santa Ana, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
The fire crews arrived to find a large volume of fire involving a collection of recyclable materials.
The blaze was quickly knocked down before it had a chance to spread to adjacent buildings, containing the fire to the outside storage area.
No injuries were reported. The cause is currently under investigation.
The fire appears to have taken place behind the Goodwill Marketplace located at 2722 W 5th St., in Santa Ana.
the Goodwill of Orange County’s Recycling Center in Santa Ana does recycle, and they have earned the Responsible Recycling (R2) certification for electronic scrap management according to Goodwill OC. They also work with other R2 certified recyclers to extract value from items that can’t be sold. They also recycle items like textiles, and work with other agencies to recycle and repurpose various materials, keeping them out of landfills.
Fires at recycling centers in the U.S. are a growing concern, and recent data highlights just how frequent and serious the issue has become:
In 2024, there were 430 publicly reported fires at waste and recycling facilities in the U.S. and Canada, a 15% increase from 373 in 2023 1. Over half of these occurred at materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and transfer stations, which are particularly vulnerable due to the presence of flammable materials and improperly disposed hazardous items like lithium-ion batteries.
A broader estimate from the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) and Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) suggests that more than 5,000 fires occur annually at recycling facilities in the U.S. alone. This figure includes both minor and major incidents, many of which go unreported unless they cause significant damage or media attention.
The primary cause of these fires is the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries, which can ignite when damaged or punctured. Other contributors include propane tanks, pressurized aerosols, and even disposable vape devices.
The financial impact is also significant. Insurance costs for recycling facilities have skyrocketed due to the increased risk, with some premiums rising from under 20 cents to as much as $10 per $100 of insured property value.
