Firefighters were called to a metal recycling plant in the city’s southeast on Wednesday morning after a fire sparked.
The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) responded to Calgary Metal Recycling, which is in the 2400 block of Ogden Road S.E., just after 6 a.m.
The fire sent dark plumes of smoke climbing into the sky.
CFD Battalion Chief Alistair Robin told Global News that the fire department’s hazmat team was on site helping to monitor air quality in the area.
Firefighters are no strangers to the facility, which is frequently the site of fires.
“It has to do with the types of materials being used in vehicles — and sometimes the materials that are left in a vehicle that aren’t actually part of the construction of the vehicle. Those sometimes make their way into the recycle pile … and those things will cause a fire,” Robin said.
Wednesday’s blaze marks the second fire the CFD has responded to at the recycling plant in 2019. In the last seven years, the CFD said they have responded to four “significant fires” at the site, not including Wednesday’s.
By 8:30 a.m., most of the flames had been extinguished and smoke in the area was greatly reduced.
Only two employees were on scene at the time of the fire and neither was injured, Robin said.
The fire caused the closure of southbound Ogden Road S.E. between Bonnybrook Road and Highfield Blvd. S.E.
CN Rail also temporarily halted its train movement in an area located east of the blaze, CFD said.
Officials were also on hand from Alberta Environment to both monitor air quality and collect water runoff from the fire.
An investigation into what caused the fire is underway.
– With files from Doug Vaessen
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