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The Saskatoon Fire Department’s work is winding down at the scene of an industrial fire in the rural municipality of Corman Park.
Two buildings at the Shercom Industries rubber recycling plant were gutted by a fire that began on Monday night.
On Wednesday, assistant fire chief Dave Bykowy said firefighters’ efforts were able to save a third building, which contained important files and expensive equipment.
“We have managed to knock out all of the major fire. This morning there was absolutely no smoke that was being driven off any of the property whatsoever,” he said.
At its height, the blaze saw as many as 30 firefighters working at once, rotating out every few hours.
Bykowy said that as of Wednesday afternoon, one four-person engine crew remained at the scene. He said they were working to spread out and douse remaining pockets of hot rubber inside the two damaged buildings.
Bykowy said fuels like rubber can stay hot for long periods of time without generating much smoke. He said high winds were helping firefighters to spot problem areas.
“There are some hot spots, and now with this 80-plus kilometre-an-hour wind, we’re having some small localized flare-ups. Not a problem whatsoever,” he said.
Bykowy said ministry of environment officials have given the all-clear as far as air quality is concerned.
The province will be in charge of investigating the cause of the fire. Bykowy said he expected they’d begin working at the site as early as Thursday.
Reflecting on the incident, Bykowy said it ranks among the largest fires the department has had to deal with. He took time to thank members of the Warman and Martensville fire departments who helped with the effort. He also thanked the Salvation Army, who helped out by providing refreshments to firefighters at the scene.
