'I'm just in shock': Fire at Dartmouth scrap metal business out; air quality improves
A section of Dartmouth's Burnside Industrial Park was shut down Friday after a fire in a scrapyard triggered alerts and air quality warnings.
Approximately 30 firefighters and 10 trucks were still on the scene as of 2 p.m. Friday.
Halifax Fire says it has since been put out, but power in the area is still limited.
Members will continue to do a fire-watch overnight.
Officials say air quality in the area has improved and monitoring for contaminated runoff will continue over the weekend.
Halifax Fire District Chief Pat Kline said a call came in for an outside fire at the scrapyard at Dartmouth Metals around 11:15 a.m.
Kline says the team also used a drone with a high-definition and thermal camera to identify the hottest parts of the fire.
“We’ll be hours,” said Kline Thursday afternoon. “The crews did a great job at their initial arrival to get it contained and keep it in the rubble pile and protect this exposure building behind us.”
As a result of thick smoke, the emergency alert system was utilized around 1:20 p.m. to warn residents about air quality in the area.
The alert said residents and businesses close to the fire should shut all windows and doors, turn off air exchangers and stay inside until air quality improves, which was estimated to take roughly three to six hours.
Dartmouth Metals is a family-operated business that goes back to the 1960s.
Its owner David Giberson is on a fishing trip in New Brunswick, but has been getting updates all day from workers on site.
“I’m just in shock and awe that it happened because where it happened. It just happened in the middle of the steel pile,” said Giberson.
A large cloud of black smoke could be seen billowing from the yard from kilometres away.
“We have a salvage yard with motor vehicles that have been crushed and they still have rubber fuel remnants, batteries," said Kline.
However, Giberson said Dartmouth Metals doesn’t accept materials with tires or fluids. He said his team makes sure vehicles are decontaminated when they arrive.
“It’s possible a battery snuck through and caught the fabric on fire,” he said. “But I have no proof of that.”
“We’re going to do our due diligence and try to figure out the source and minimize the probability of it ever happening again,” said Giberson.
Kline said it’s unclear what started the fire, and according to police, the investigation is ongoing.
“It’ll be under investigation for a while and we may never find the cause, because of the fact it was a large pile of crushed cars,” said Kline.
Akerley Boulevard was closed to traffic between Mosher Drive and Windmill Road. Police asked drivers to use alternate routes to avoid delays.
Halifax Regional Police says no injuries have been reported as a result of the fire.
Giberson apologized for the problems the fire caused.
“This created such a nuisance for all of Burnside and the city,” he said. “It’s embarrassing. I’m going to make sure we do our best here at Dartmouth Metals to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.
Cherry blossoms blooming in Canada: Here's what to know
There is a swaying sea of colour in some cities across Canada, and it's a sure sign of spring: cherry blossoms are in bloom.