As reported in the Brantford Expositor, an early morning fire Monday at a tire recycling plant in Brantford, Ontario, sent one firefighter to the hospital and has raised the concern of some city councilors.
The firefighter was treated for burns and released from Brantford General Hospital after being injured combating the flames at Liberty Tire.
The fire is said to have been the result of a pipe that was used to gather dust and rubber powder from the recycled tires.
Extinguished by late morning, the fire department’s officials focused their attention on handling the water on the property.
The city’s fire prevention office, municipal environmental staff and officials from the Ministry of the Environment monitored the incident.
“Our environmental group has been on it from early on,” Brantford Mayor Chris Friel, who was briefed by the fire department throughout day, said in an interview in the afternoon. “They are very satisfied with how everything was handled.”
However, not all were pleased by Monday’s events. Councilor Richard Carpenter, whose ward includes the industrial park where Liberty Tire Recycling operates, commented, “We’ve had nothing but trouble with this company since they came here. This city has had a hard time getting them to comply with regulations. These companies can operate safely and responsibly. The question is whether they will or not."
