A truck loaded with batteries and other combustible material erupted in flames adjacent to a loading dock at a Moreno Valley distribution center Monday, injuring one person as the fire threatened to spread into the facility.
The blaze was reported about 12:45 p.m. at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Distribution Center in the 24500 block of San Michele Road, just east of Indian Street, near March Air Reserve Base, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Multiple engine crews and truck companies were sent to the location and encountered a box truck engulfed in flames, fire officials said.
Firefighters established defensive lines at the loading bay, preventing the flames from spreading into the warehouse.
A worker suffered smoke inhalation injuries and was taken to nearby Riverside University Health System Medical Center for treatment, according to reports from the scene.
Officials said four pallets of car batteries and an unknown number of brake pads were in the cargo hold of the truck or laying next to it, prompting a hazardous materials team response to mitigate the threat of chemical exposure risks.
Personnel from the county Department of Environmental Health were also summoned to assess the threat.
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.