A six-alarm fire that has been raging all night at a recycling plant in Toronto is mostly under control, according to Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg.
Pegg said the blaze began just before 1 a.m. at the GFL recycling plant near Cherry and Commissioners streets, near Cherry Beach, and “escalated through the alarm levels very quickly.”
He said there were workers in the facility at the time, but Toronto firefighters confirmed everyone made it out safely. No injuries have been reported.
The roof of the facility has collapsed and firefighters have been unable to enter the building.
“We’re not inside the building … it would be hazardous for us to do that,” Pegg said. “They’re outside the collapse zone working on defence and control.”
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Division Chief Larry Cocco said investigators have identified an area of interest where recyclables are handled as a possible point of origin. He added officials will know more information when they are able to enter the building.
Pegg said much of the water being used to battle the blaze was supplied by the William Lyon Mackenzie fireboat just offshore in Lake Ontario.
Smoke has been blowing across the downtown core due to the direction of the wind but Pegg said the smoke plume was not reported to be hazardous.
“There is a large volume of smoke production, that’s normal, we expected that,” Pegg said. “We are monitoring the smoke plume. The wind is fairly light but it is moving the smoke around.”
GFL Environmental describes the facility on its website as a solid waste transfer station, hauling yard and solid waste material recycling site.
WATCH: Toronto fire crews continue to battle 6-alarm fire at recycling plant. Cindy Pom reports.
Toronto Mayor John Tory arrived just after 6 a.m. to check in on the scene.
“People don’t need to be worried about that,” Tory told reporters. “There is no good smoke, but this is smoke people just smell. It’s widespread across the city, but it doesn’t, as best anyone knows at the moment, pose any danger.”
With files from The Canadian Press
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