A large fire broke out at a recycling plant in the Parque Industrial de las Californias in eastern Tijuana on Thursday afternoon, sending thick columns of black smoke into the sky visible from both sides of the border. Tijuana firefighters responded alongside private brigades to contain the blaze, which burned through plastics and other recyclable materials stored at the facility.
The fire began around 2:00 p.m. at a plant identified as a plastics and recyclables processing facility. The Parque Industrial de las Californias sits just south of the Otay Mesa border crossing, one of the busiest commercial ports of entry between Mexico and the United States. Smoke from the fire drifted north, prompting air quality concerns on both sides of the border.
Industrial Fires in Tijuana’s Eastern Corridor Have a Pattern
Recycling and waste processing plants along Tijuana’s eastern industrial belt have caught fire repeatedly over the past several years. The combination of flammable materials, dry conditions, and densely packed industrial parks creates persistent fire risk in the area. Tijuana’s municipal fire department, the Heroico Cuerpo de Bomberos, operates with limited equipment relative to the city’s sprawl. The department has publicly acknowledged staffing and resource shortages in past years.
The Parque Industrial de las Californias is one of dozens of industrial parks in the Otay Mesa corridor. These parks house maquiladoras, logistics warehouses, and recycling operations that process materials flowing through the cross-border supply chain. Plastics recycling plants are especially fire-prone because they store large volumes of combustible material in open or semi-enclosed areas.
Tijuana recorded multiple industrial fires in 2024, including incidents at tire yards and pallet storage lots in the eastern mesa. Each fire raises the same set of concerns: response times across the sprawling industrial zone, water access for firefighting, and air quality for surrounding neighborhoods. Colonias near industrial parks often lack buffer zones, meaning residents live within blocks of facilities handling flammable or toxic materials.
Smoke Crossed the Border Into Otay Mesa and San Ysidro
Because the Parque Industrial de las Californias sits roughly one mile south of the border fence, smoke from fires at this location regularly drifts into U.S. territory. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District has previously issued advisories during Tijuana fire events, warning residents in Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, and Chula Vista to stay indoors.
Cross-border smoke events have become a recurring issue. Tijuana’s topography channels smoke northward through the Otay Mesa plateau, where it can linger due to thermal inversions common in the coastal zone. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors air quality at stations in the border region, but real-time data can lag behind fast-moving smoke plumes.
For anyone crossing at Otay Mesa on Thursday, the fire caused delays as visibility dropped near the port of entry. The Otay Mesa crossing handles roughly 10,000 northbound passenger vehicles daily and is the primary commercial crossing for trucks moving goods between Baja California and Southern California. Smoke and emergency vehicle activity near the industrial park can slow traffic on Boulevard Industrial, one of the main access roads to the crossing.
Air Quality Risks From Burning Plastics
Burning plastics release toxic compounds including dioxins, furans, and particulate matter that can irritate the respiratory system. The World Health Organization classifies open burning of plastics as a significant source of hazardous air pollution. Residents within several miles of the fire, on both sides of the border, faced exposure risk on Thursday afternoon.
Tijuana does not operate a public real-time air quality monitoring network comparable to the AirNow system used in U.S. cities. Some private sensors, including PurpleAir stations installed by residents, provide localized readings. During past fire events, PurpleAir sensors in Playas de Tijuana and Otay Mesa have recorded PM2.5 levels well above WHO guidelines.
People with asthma, cardiovascular disease, or other respiratory conditions are most vulnerable during smoke events. Health authorities in both countries recommend closing windows, running air purifiers with HEPA filters, and avoiding outdoor exercise when smoke is visible.
As of Thursday evening, firefighters were still working to fully extinguish the blaze. No injuries had been reported. The cause of the fire remained under investigation by Tijuana fire officials. This story was reported with information from El Imparcial de Tijuana.