A fire at a junkyard in the city of Richmond has sent a massive plume of black smoke into the air, closing nearby streets and triggering a shelter in place order for the area.

The Chron reports that the blaze was reported at 7 a.m. Friday at Deal Auto Wrecking & Recycling, which is located at 400 West Gertrude Avenue near the Richmond Parkway.

The fire's proximity to the Parkway prompted a closure of its stretch between Interstate 580 and Interstate 80, CBS 5 reports.

Worries about the toxicity of the smoke, given that it comes from "burning auto bodies, tires and plastics," local residents and those in nearby El Cerrito have been ordered to shelter in place, as have people inside the Contra Costa Community Center and students at Downer Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary, Richmond High School and Salesian College Preparatory.

In an alert sent this morning, the Richmond Fire Department says that:

Residents near Gertrude Avenue and Richmond Parkway in Richmond should shelter in place. Please go inside, close all windows and doors, turn off all heaters, air conditioners and fans. If not using the fireplace, close fireplace dampers and vents, and cover cracks around doors and windows with tape or damp towels. Updated emergency information can be found on media news networks and by going to www.cococws.us. Stay off the telephone unless you have a life threatening emergency. Shelter in place until further notice.

According to the Chron, most flames were extinguished by 9:30, when a fire crew from the nearby Chevron refinery used fire retardant foam on the blaze.

An employee of the auto yard says that he suspects that a battery short might be to blame. Speaking with the Chron, the staffer speculated that "a battery in one of the wrecked cars in the yard shorting out and sparking up a fire that quickly spread to other cars, many stacked on top of each other."

No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire, and an investigation into its cause is ongoing.