'The whole sky was full of smoke!': Tillsonburg industrial blaze 'could have been worse'

A large industrial fire just west of Tillsonburg sent heavy black smoke billowing into the sky Monday morning.

The blaze at Legend Rubber Inc. on Hwy. 3, spread quickly and sent a scare into arriving employees and firefighters alike.

It began around 4:30 am. At about the same time, some of the firm's 130 employees were arriving for work.

"I just drove up, and it was on fire," shared worker Danny Danis. "I thought that the whole building was on fire, but it was just a cover. It was very black. Like it filled the whole sky full of smoke. It was really bad."

The initial assessment from arriving fire crews was similar.

"When you've got rubber, you're talking about very intense heat," confirmed Harry Baranik, the chief of the Bayham Fire Dept. "Look, where you see our trucks over there, well, I was standing by there originally and, I was worried we might be a little too close."

While the initial battle proved difficult, fire crews quickly had the upper hand. 

The aftermath of a fire on Talbot Line near Tillsonburg on July 20, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

At its peak, more than 50 firefighters were on scene in 18 different vehicles. In all, five different jurisdictions were called in for mutual aid."

Most of the damage was limited to a large coverall building. The structure is part of the company's cargo van rubber flooring division.

But the agricultural products area did not go unscathed. The outside of its shipping area is heavily damaged, along with a pair of transport trailers.

On reflection, Baranik agreed things, “Could have been much worse… We're very fortunate that we were able to get the water on it to protect the exposure from the flames spreading to the inside of the buildings. No buildings have been affected other than the exterior of the buildings," he said.Damage is seen to a building on Talbot Line in Tillsonburg after a fire on July 29, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

A co-owner of Legends Rubber Inc. is thankful the fire did not spread further, and that no one appears to have been hurt.

"We thought we were going to lose the whole thing," shared Ben Graham. "But thankfully, the fire brigade worked extremely well and saved the two main buildings. Hopefully, we'll see if we're up and running tomorrow. "

The Ministry of the Environment is investigating, but the Baranik is confident containment systems, installed around the property operated successfully.