Toronto firefighters battled a “runaway” fire at an industrial site in north Etobicoke on Friday that sparked multiple explosions and forced the evacuation of nearby businesses.
The fire started at a commercial location on Vulcan Street in the early hours of the morning and quickly intensified, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop, who spoke to the media near the scene. There are no reports of injuries.
Jessop said the building is home to a business that deals in oil and vehicle fluids such as lubricants and solvents.
Twenty-four other businesses in the vicinity of the building have been evacuated and area residents are advised to shelter in place and keep windows closed, it added. A thick column of black smoke continued to billow from the site later on Friday morning.
Firefighters are closely monitoring air quality and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment has been notified.
Jessop said he expects it could take most of the day to put out the fire.
“This is going to be a very, very long day for our crews,” he said, adding that part of the roof had collapsed, further limiting access to various parts of the fire.
