Georgia Pacific Packaging building destroyed in overnight fire in Salinas

SALINAS, CALIF. (KION-TV) - Salinas Fire crews are cleaning up after a fire destroyed the Georgia Pacific Packaging building in South Salinas overnight.

The fire started around 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of Terven and Vertin Avenue just behind the Salinas Valley Truck Stop.

The building suffered major damage. Six engines and 32 firefighters worked frantically to get it under control.

"The building is used for cardboard packaging for the agricultural industry," said Cary Lesch with the Salinas Fire Department. "It was a huge metal building filled with cardboard boxes."

According to officials, there had been concerns of the fire spreading to the nearby truck stop and the vehicles staying there overnight, with police urging truckers to move before blocking the area off for a few hours.

Reyes Marin who was asleep in his truck remembers the scary moments.

"I was scared because if the pipes would have gotten on fire, everything would have exploded," said Reyes Marin." The truck is my work tool. In my case, if it burned, the insurance would have taken a few days and it would have affected me."

Firefighters say the fire destroyed half of the building.

Salinas Fire said the cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire.