A three-alarm blaze struck a massive metal recycling facility in South El Monte Wednesday, sending fireballs into the sky as it triggered a series of explosions and subsequent shelter-in-place orders. 3 A three-alarm blaze struck a massive metal recycling facility in South El Monte Wednesday. KTLA3 The inferno erupted around 2:30 p.m. at P&T Metals, a scrap yard. KTLAIn a post on X, the department advised nearby residents to close all windows, doors, shut off all heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for the duration of the shelter-in-place order. P&T Metals, the four-acre facility which has been in the neighborhood for nearly 60 years, processes everything from aluminum, copper, brass, high-temperature alloys and more.