St. Thomas firefighters battle massive blaze on CN Rail property

A blaze which at its peak reached 20 feet in the air had St. Thomas firefighters busy on Thursday.

St. Thomas Fire Chief Dave Gregory remarked that the fire would likely be “a full day event” - with the size of the fire demanding their continued attention.

Fire Prevention Officer Chief Kim Destun said that first responders were initially called to the massive fire on CN Rail property in the north end of the city around noon, “We're keeping it cool, putting water on it and foam. We have waterworks here to to assist us and tear apart the pile and expedite that work.”

The fire brought out amateur photographers who, when they saw the smoke, headed to the site to take photos and post on social media.

St. Thomas Fire Department was advising those in the area to not only stay away, but remain indoors.

Destun said that the materials set on fire posed a risk to residents, “We're advising residents on the south side of the tracks to close their windows and doors and stay inside because [those] railroad ties are full of creosote and it's some pretty heavy black smoke.”

Firefighters battle a railroad tie fire in St. Thomas, Thursday, October 10, 2024 (Source: St. Thomas Fire Department)

A few hours after it started, firefighters had knocked down most of the fire and were just battling flare ups and the smoke.

Paramedics were on standby to assist any firefighters in need of aid.

Gregory said that although many of the city’s firefighters were helping to battle the blaze, the city maintained the ability to respond to other incidents if needed, “So we have enough crews here to cover the city in the event of another emergency. And then we're going to call in extra guys to make sure these guys are switched out.”

Not only were more bodies necessary to help in the event of additional emergencies, but due to the long hours needed to fully extinguish the blaze, additional firefighters could be rotated in.

“They get some rehab, get some food and water into, rest up, and we'll switch off, because - this is just one of these ones... We could be here all day,” said Gregory.