Before dawn on Friday, February 26, 2021, a devastating fire tore through an industrial district in Compton, California, sending towering plumes of black smoke into the morning sky. Firefighters arrived shortly after 4:45 a.m. to find a commercial complex ablaze—home to a pallet yard and a bus transportation business.

The fire destroyed multiple structures and burned at least a dozen buses, several of which were a total loss.

This incident serves as a powerful reminder of the critical importance of effective yard and crisis management. To help protect your operations from similar risks, consider these key strategies to contain and mitigate the impact of a yard fire:

Separate vehicles in your yard to the best of your ability based on available space to help reduce fire spreading from vehicle to vehicle
Park vehicles away from buildings, whenever possible, to help lessen the likelihood of a fire spreading from building(s) to vehicle(s)
Keep any combustible materials, including shrubbery, trees and dry grass, away from vehicles and structures, particularly in areas prone to wildfires
Position vehicles as far away as practicable from power lines
Implement policies and procedures to help prevent such fires from occurring at your facility, and make sure your employees know what to do if there is a fire
Review and, if needed, update your company’s crisis management plan (or develop one if you haven’t already done so) to identify current threats, minimize their likelihood, and improve your company’s response
Maintain proper insurance coverage, including adequate limits, on all vehicles; consult with your insurance broker and carrier to ensure that you are adequately protected
Consult with your local fire department for more ways to help prevent yard fires at your facility.