A fire in Cambridge that caused a massive plume of smoke that could be seen from Waterloo and Guelph is not considered suspicious.
The fire broke out shortly before 2 p.m. Monday at an industrial building on Sheffield Street, near Guelph Avenue and Fisher Mills Road.
Rubber and other materials were being kept inside the building, which was a storage area at the former Crowe foundry.
Smoke from the fire quickly turned from white to black, and rose high into the sky above Hespeler. More than 20 firefighters from the city’s five stations were called in to bring the fire under control.
The Ministry of the Environment was also brought in to take air samples and ensure no contaminants entered the speed river.
The Sheffield St. factory fire is creating thick, black smoke. For your safety, firefighters are asking the community to stay well back from the area while they work to put out the fire #cbridge #safety pic.twitter.com/xqP0Lf76Py
— City of Cambridge (@cityofcambridge) November 20, 2017
By 3:30 p.m., the Cambridge Fire Department was asking people in the area to stay in their homes, with their doors and windows closed. Some homes near the building were evacuated. The shelter-in-place order remained in effect as of 6 p.m.
The Waterloo Region District said students in after-school programs at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School and kids in extended day programs at five elementary schools were being kept inside unless parents or guardians arrived in vehicles to take them home.
Elementary schools affected by the shelter-in-place order included Silverheights Public School, Hespeler Public School, Hillcrest Public School, Centennial Public School and Woodland Park Public School. All students were picked up by the 6 p.m. hour.
No injuries were reported due to the fire.
By 6:45 p.m., the fire was said to be under control. Firefighters were expected to remain on-site through the night.
With reporting by Nicole Lampa
