The Taylor Farms Processing Facility is still smoldering in Salinas after a massive fire tore through the building on Abbott Street overnight, prompting evacuations.
Taylor Farms makes a lot of those prepackaged salad kits you see in the grocery store.
A risk of explosion and toxic smoke from the raging fire prompted the Salinas Fire Department to evacuate nearby residents.
The evacuation notice is for the areas near the fire -- at the Taylor Farms Processing Facility -- between South Main Street, East Alisal Street, Alisal Road and Harris Road. The order is due to the potential for an explosion and hazmat plume of ammonia that can change the impacted areas based on shifts in wind direction, according to a 2:19 a.m. news release from city officials.
The blaze has now closed four nearby elementary schools, city officials announced shortly after 5:30 a.m. -- Lincoln Elementary, Monterey Park Elementary, Sherwood Elementary and Los Padres Elementary.