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Fire at Sycamore Mineral Springs destroys shed, causes chemical leak

A fire broke out at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa early Thursday morning, destroying a pool storage shed and causing a hazardous chemical leak.
A fire broke out at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa early Thursday morning, destroying a pool storage shed and causing a hazardous chemical leak. ldickinson@thetribunenews.com

A small fire broke out early Thursday morning at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, destroying a pool shed and causing chemicals to leak.

A caller reported the fire just after 12:10 a.m. It appeared to have started in the storage shed at the resort on Avila Beach Drive.

Firefighters from Cal Fire responded to the scene and quickly called out San Luis Obispo County’s hazardous incident response team. The team consists of firefighters and officials from around the county who are equipped to handle potentially dangerous chemical fires.

A fire destroyed a storage shed at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa early Thursday morning, causing damage to the pool area and a hazardous chemical leak.
A fire destroyed a storage shed at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa early Thursday morning, causing damage to the pool area and a hazardous chemical leak. Laura Dickinson ldickinson@thetribunenews.com

Although the fire was quickly extinguished, common pool cleaning chemicals stored nearby were affected by the heat and leaked onto the asphalt surrounding the shed, according to Peter Hague, a San Luis Obispo County environmental health supervisor.

The chemical release was limited to the asphalt, Hague said, and did not leak into nearby San Luis Obispo Creek.

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa is contracting a cleanup company to fully remove the chemicals, Hague added. Although Hague noted the immediate health risks are very low, people are advised to not approach the immediate vicinity of the fire until the cleanup is completed.

This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 1:30 PM.

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Mackenzie Shuman
The Tribune
Mackenzie Shuman primarily writes about SLO County education and the environment for The Tribune. She’s originally from Monument, Colorado, and graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2020. When not writing, Mackenzie spends time outside hiking and rock climbing.
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