Calgary police arson investigators are working to determine what sparked a large fire at a southeast Calgary junkyard on Monday night.
Firefighters were called to a pallet recycling shop in the 3500 block of 52 Street S.E. at around 11:15 p.m.
While en route to the fire, crews spotted flames and thick smoke, prompting them to call for additional help. The junkyard was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
“It’s a storage yard for wooden pallets and that’s what primarily was burning at the time,” Calgary Fire Department (CFD) District Chief Brad Bogner said.
Concerns over air quality at the scene prompted the CFD to dispatch an air monitoring unit to make sure firefighters stayed safe.
Witnesses told Global News the fire may have started when a car in the area somehow caught fire, with the flames spreading to some wooden pallets and eventually to the junkyard.
“There is a vehicle in the vicinity. We’re not sure how involved it was and why,” Bogner said.
Firefighters used aerial ladder trucks to battle the flames from above and were able to get the fire under control.
The owner of the property told Global News it was the second fire they’ve had in just a couple of months.
Portions of 52 Street S.E. were temporarily closed due to the fire.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries.
– With files from Doug Vaessen