More than four hours after they were first dispatched to a fire at an east-end business, Brantford firefighters found themselves still unable to get inside.
Concerns about the building’s structural stability had firefighters cautiously keeping their distance, Brantford fire chief Shane Caskanette said Friday evening.
Firefighters were first dispatched to the property on Middleton Street, off of Henry Street, shortly before 2:30 p.m.
Before long, crews from all four of the city’s fire stations were at the scene.
The building itself was not burning, but molten metal inside of it was.
“Basically what’s burning inside the building is a bunch of, for lack of a better word, piles of combustible metal,” Caskanette said.
As of 6:30 p.m., Caskanette said firefighters were essentially in a “holding pattern” due to their inability to fight the fire from inside the building.
The fire sent a large plume of smoke into the air for several hours.
Officials with the Ministry of the Environment were also called in, due to concerns about the potential for toxic fumes. Buildings across the street were evacuated.
The building belongs to a company called Mississauga Metals and Alloys – which, according to its website, recycles and produces metals for nuclear and chemical companies.
It was not clear if anyone was inside the building when the fire began, although firefighters said they were not aware of any injuries.
Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene well into Friday night.
With reporting by Nadia Matos
