Air quality no longer a concern around Hespeler fire site

Air quality is no longer a concern, following a massive industrial fire in the Hespeler area of Cambridge, which sent a huge plume of dark smoke downwind Monday afternoon.

The Ministry of Environment tells 570 NEWS their results of testing on the air quality in the neighbourhood around the five-alarm factory fire all came back showing no danger.

They tested in four locations near the fire, and say there are no exceedances for the kinds of contaminants typically associated with industrial fires.

As for the water, the MOE says Cambridge city staff had put up berms around the catch basins to protect them from run off from the firefighting water, and all of that was directed into the sanitary sewers that lead to the Hespeler Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The Ministry is following up with staff at that plant, who are conducting tests on the water now.

Firefighters spent much of Monday afternoon and evening battling the large factory fire on Sheffield Street, which broke out in a vacant industrial building around 2 p.m., Monday afternoon.

The Cambridge Fire Department asked residents and schools to shelter in place, and to keep doors and windows closed while they worked on getting the fire and smoke under control.

The City of Cambridge and Guelph sent out the following advisories:

No word yet on a cause or damage estimate.

570’s Bryan Levesque took the following video at the scene on Monday afternoon:

Here are some pictures and videos some 570 NEWS listeners sent in:

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