Bark Burning at San Jose Landfill Proves Stubborn

May 12---- A "very stubborn" fire in piles of recycled tan bark at a landfill spread smoke into the air above the south bay Sunday night, the San Jose fire department said.

The fire started about 4:30 p.m. at the Zanker Materials Recovery and Landfill and continued into the evening, said San Jose fire Captain Reggie Williams.

The fire was difficult to extinguish because it burned in deeply compacted piles of tan bark that were 20 feet to 30 feet high, Williams said.

Crews poured water on top of the piles, but as they pulled away layers of tan bark, air fueled more flames within the pile.

"Tan bark is very, very stubborn," Williams said.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation, Williams said. The flames did damage a recycling machine, but the fire was contained and no structures or residences were directly threatened.

However, Williams advised anyone who smelled smoke, especially people with respiratory problems, to shut their doors and windows and shelter in place.

A Spare the Air day was issued for Monday, so the fire could add to the air-quality problems in the valley because it was "causing a significant amount of smoke throughout the valley," Williams said.

About 20 landfill workers came to the scene to help firefighters bulldoze the piles and fight the fires, but crews expected to remain at the scene overnight, he said.

Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: [email protected]

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