Brantford Fire Services say a blaze that lasted more than 24 hours and prompted the city to issue an air quality advisory for nearby residents has now been knocked down.
Deputy Chief Todd Binkley told Global News on Monday that the call for a fire at North West Rubber, a tire recycling company, came just after 6 a.m. on Sunday.
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“We got a call for a fire at 321 Henry St.,” said Binkley. “We arrived to heavy smoke and fire conditions. The fire was in the storage yard of the company. We set up defensive operations and essentially worked to keep the fire from the exposure, which was the factory, and to extinguish the fire.”
The blaze produced black smoke seen for several kilometres, prompting officials with the City of Brantford to issue a notice to residents about keeping windows closed.
“Residents in the immediate area or those with respiratory issues are advised to keep their windows closed as a precaution,” the city said in social media post.
Binkley said the smoke became such a concern that the Ministry of the Environment was called in to monitor air quality.
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“We requested that the MOE attend for air monitoring, and they provided a team that monitored the air,” said Binkley. “There were some contaminants found, but they were at levels well below the ministry’s emergency level.”
Henry Street, which was closed for some time on Sunday, was reopened on Monday morning with lane reductions between Adam Boulevard and Middleton Street.
Binkley said there were no injuries and the investigation into the cause and damage continues.
“We’re still currently in the investigation phase and determining the dollar loss,” he said.
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