St. Thomas firefighters were expected to be on site into Tuesday morning in the aftermath of a massive fire at the former Weatherhead Company of Canada plant on Inkerman Street.
Crews arrived on the scene shortly after 4 p.m. with a full callback in effect.
Chief Fire Prevention officer Kim Destun noted the building has been vacant for some time and so the fire is being treated as suspicious.
Audio PlayerResidents north of Edward Street were advised to close their windows, as wind from the south sent acrid black smoke over the north part of the city.
Standing with Destun, smoky hot spots could be seen dotted across the sprawling site late into the evening.
Audio PlayerThe adjacent rail line was shut down so firefighters could drape hoses over the rails to help in their efforts of controlling the blaze.
Destun explained to myFM the game plan for dealing with hot spots overnight.
Audio PlayerThe twisted steel framework was stark evidence of the intensity of the blaze.
St. Thomas Police were on the scene with numerous roads in the area closed to traffic. No one was believed to be in the structure at the time.
For several years, a portion of the building was taken over temporarily by volunteers operating the annual Christmas Care food and toy hamper campaign.
More details as they become available.
Written by Ian McCallum
