Brantford Fire still investigating storage unit battery fire

A fire in Brantford has been contained but firefighters are expected to remain on scene until the end of the weekend.

Brantford Fire was called to the blaze at Aypa Power Canada’s storage facility at 115 Sinclair Boulevard on Thursday.

They said the flames were contained to one unit used to store batteries.

No injuries were reported.

Fire Chief Todd Binkley said the protocol for this type of fire is to let it burn itself out.

“Brantford Fire is on site monitoring the container for heat. There is no active fire at this time. And Brantford Fire will remain on scene until temperatures drop to a safe level,” he told CTV News on Friday.

The Ministry of Environment and city officials are also on hand to monitor the air and water quality in the area.

According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, firewater runoff from the site impacted a retention pond as well as a nearby creek. 

“The gate at the outfall of the pond was immediately closed, containing the majority of the firewater to the pond. Impacts to the creek are minimal and are not expected to cause adverse effects,” said the ministry spokesperson in an email to CTV News.

The ministry said staff attended the site and followed up with local partners to confirm that cleanup and proper containment were put in place. 

“The cleanup of the on-site pond is ongoing, and the cleanup contractor is awaiting sample results before disposing of the firewater in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act."

The storage unit is next to Aspire Bakeries.

Staff at the bakery said the fire hasn’t impacted production.

“We appreciate the collaboration from our local first responders and will always take the safest route for our employees, the community, and the food we produce,” said Kathy Lenkov, a spokesperson for Aspire Bakeries, in a statement.