Firefighters battling 'out of control' industrial fire in Etobicoke
CBC
Toronto firefighters battled an "out of control" blaze at an industrial site in north Etobicoke Friday that ignited several explosions and forced nearby businesses to be evacuated.
The fire started at a commercial location on Vulcan Street shortly before 1:15 a.m. and quickly escalated, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop, who spoke to media near the scene. There are no reports of injuries.
Crews arrived to find several tractor trailers on fire at the back of the building, which is listed as a chemical wholesaler. Jessop said the business deals in oil and vehicle fluids like lubricants and solvants.
The blaze quickly spread to the main building, and firefighters are working to prevent it from spreading to adjacent sites, which includes a large lumber yard, he said.
"We are operating from a defensive perspective right now," he said. "We are similarly treating this as a hazardous materials incident addressing the water runoff and monitoring the air quality."
Other businesses in the vicinity of the building have been evacuated. Residents in the area are being advised to shelter in place and keep their windows closed, and to call 911 if they experience any respiratory issues, he added. Thick black smoke continued to billow from the site later Friday morning.
The Ontario environment ministry has been notified and CN Rail lines that run through the impacted area have been shut down, Jessop said.
He said he expects it could take most of the day to extinguish the blaze.
"This is going to be a very, very long day for our crews," he said, adding that part of the roof has collapsed, further limiting access to various parts of the fire.
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