Hazardous tanker fire briefly closes rail line in North York

A two-alarm fire involving chemical tankers near Downsview Park forced the suspension of GO Train service in the area Friday night.

Fire crews were called to an industrial property on Bakersfield Street near Sheppard Avenue West and Chesswood Drive shortly after 7 p.m.

Upon arriving, crews discovered a “very significant volume of fire” coming from two chemical tankers, which contained a combination of tar, asphalt and cleaning solution.

According to Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, hazmat crews began deploying a significant quantity of firefighting foam in an effort to control the fire.

“The top priority in any of these situations is making sure that we continuously cool the tanker cars to prevent any explosion hazards that can result as a result of the fire,” he said.

The blaze, coupled with the discharge of smoke and the hazard presented by the chemicals in the tankers forced traffic on the nearby CN rail line to be suspended, affecting GO Train service to Barrie.

“There was a large volume of fire and a very large smoke discharge, that is what gave rise to the order to suspend traffic on the rail line,” said Pegg.

The fire was extinguished just before 10 p.m. and traffic on the rail line resumed shortly thereafter.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.