A two-alarm fire was finally brought under control at a San Jose, California manufacturing company. Now that the fire is no longer a threat, another thing has locals spooked: asbestos. The fire took place on Sunday morning, and originated in a holding tank at Reed & Graham Inc., a company that manufactures paving material. The fire was reported by employees at the scene around 9 am, according to Captain Robert Culbertson, a fire department spokesman.

The fire broke out when employees were transferring tar from one tank into another. Some of the material overflowed, causing the hot tar to ignite the tank insulation and catch fire. The tank holds 10,000 gallons of tar, and is stored at a roiling 300 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the material malleable. Hazmat teams were called in to the scene after it was revealed that the storage tank’s insulation may have contained asbestos.

Asbestos was once widely used because it has a natural resistance to damage caused by fire. However, the health risks are major: exposure to asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.

All told, 60 people were involved with the blaze. Firefighters had to peel away portions of the tank’s metal skin to reach the flames. However, Culbertson says they were lucky to get the blaze under control. He said the "toxic, irritating" plume of smoke that could have been released if the entire tank went up could have been visible for blocks. "If that were to catch on fire," he said, "it would be a huge, dark cloud of petroleum-based smoke."

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