Fire does $500,000 damage to auto shop
Faulty motor on exhaust fan the likely cause of the blaze, chief says
Thorold Fire Department believes an exhaust fan motor was the cause of a $500,000 fire that destroyed an auto collision and repair shop Wednesday.
Thorold firefighters spent more than four hours battling the blaze at 87 Ormond Street North that included Star Choice Collision.
“The owner was trying to extinguish a motor from an exhaust fan, which was smoking,” Thorold Fire Chief Terry Dixon said.
“About 30 seconds later, he heard a pop and saw flames in the ceiling. They called 911, and got everyone out of the building.”
Thick, black smoke accompanied the fire as was visible from as far away as Niagara Falls.
The Niagara Regional Police helped by going door-to-door and evacuating the nearest homes, apartment buildings, and businesses. The police also used social media to spread the word about the need to shelter in place as well as close windows and doors and seal as many openings as they could with duct tape, foil, or plastic wrap.
The nature of a fire at an autobody shop creates challenges for firefighters, Dixon said. Clear coat paints contain petroleum naphtha. The materials for metal cleaning and bodywork have epoxy resins.
“Accelerants add to the fire and make it very difficult to put out,” Dixon said. “You have the paint and the thinners. You have gasoline and oil. They all keep the fire going.
“It was a difficult fire to fight because it kept flaring. One minute you think you have it under control — the next minute, it’s back.
“I can’t say enough about our firefighters and the job they did. It was a very challenging environment.”
Dixon said the explosions bystanders reported hearing was likely tires popping.
“You also have hydraulic hinges on the hoods of vehicles that can go off as well as airbags. There were seven vehicles inside the building and cars in the parking lot.”
The St. Catharines Fire Department sent an aerial ladder. When combined with Thorold’s
aerial ladder truck, the two vehicles can pump 12,000 litres of water a minute onto the fire.
“Even with that, it was all we could do to keep up with the accelerant in the building,” Dixon said.
“One of my biggest concerns was the safety of the firefighters. The fire was burning very hot, and then you add the heat of the day to the bunker gear, which is 50 pounds, and the air pack and everything else they wear. We had two firefighters treated by Niagara EMS for heat exhaustion.”
Dixon called in the Ministry of Environment to monitor the water flow draining from the fire. The chief said he was also concerned about the air quality, but the ministry’s sampling technology wasn’t near enough to be available.
“It would have taken several hours to get here, and by that time, it wouldn’t be any help in what I was trying to accomplish,” Dixon said.
William.Sawchuk @niagaradailies.com 905-225-1630 | @bill_standard