'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
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
'Wild, wild west.' Families say organs of deceased Alabama inmates have been removed without their consent
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed from Trump hush money trial as prosecutors seek to hold former president in contempt
A juror in Donald Trump's hush money trial was dismissed Thursday after expressing doubt about her ability to be fair and impartial, and the status of a second New Yorker picked for the panel was in limbo amid concerns that some of his answers in court may not have been accurate.