Fire on recycling facility property sends thick plumes of smoke over east London

Thick plumes of dark smoke could be seen kilometers away after a fire broke out in the yard of an east London, Ont. recycling facility.

The fire broke out in the back of a property on Gore Road, near Veterans Memorial Parkway.

London Fire Department Platoon Chief Kirk Loveland said it appeared most of the recyclables were from old appliances.

Loveland said smoke from this kind of fire always raises concerns about possible environmental impacts, “We want to make sure we can get in here as quickly as possible and extinguish the fire.”

Crews were called to the location around 1:30 pm.

Loveland said a nearby fire hydrant allowed fire fighters to put a combination of water and foam on the fire, “When we use water we’re basically cooling. When we use foam, we can cool and cut off the oxygen source to extinguish the fire. It’s like putting a blanket it over it. The oxygen is cut of and the fire will die out.”

The fire was effectively knocked down by 2:30 but crews continued to douse the scene while heavy equipment shifted material around to eliminate hot spots.

A fire broke out at a recycling plant property on Gore Road in London, Ont. on July 10, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

A fire broke out at a recycling plant property on Gore Road in London, Ont. on July 10, 2023. (Source: London Fire Department/Twitter)