Huge Tire Fire Believed To Be Arson

It was a huge ball of flame and it led to a thick toxic cloud of smoke that could be seen from the east end to the downtown core and beyond. At least 125 firefighters from across the city responded to a huge tire fire at Jones Auto Wreckers on Thora Ave. in the Victoria Park and Danforth Road area Thursday.

Not long after crews reached the scene, the danger escalated along with the fire itself, which quickly turned into a five alarm inferno. The blaze forced the evacuation and closure of several streets, snarled traffic and shut down two GO train lines for most of the afternoon rush. But as terrible as the fire was, the reason for all the problems was even more shocking. Authorities believe the blaze was deliberately set.

Tire fires are especially difficult to fight and the environmental effects can be immediate. The smoke from these kinds of disasters is often extremely hazardous and crews and even reporters at the scene were told to wear face masks. For displaced residents and those who were forced to keep their doors and windows closed on an unusually hot September day, it was a frightening experience.

“The smoke is bad,” one man agreed. “Explosions sound like bombs. There were about 20 explosions, cars just blowing up.” A woman says all she wanted to do when she became aware of the danger was to “just to get out.” But with the traffic troubles the emergency had created, it wasn’t easy. Asked if she was frightened, her answer came in one word that spoke volumes. “Very,” she exclaimed.

It took nearly two and a half hours for crews to get the upper hand on the blazing beast, but the danger was far from over – the smoke and hotspots that remain mean they’ll likely be on scene right through Friday and into the weekend. “We’ve got a good handle on the fire now,” assures Toronto District Fire Chief Andrew Kostiuk. “We’re putting foam on the tires and we got it pretty much under control now. The problem is that there’s a lot of tires underneath the cars.”

The facility, which has been around in one form or another since 1937, has a now terribly ironic promise on its website. “We know that you have a choice of wrecking companies to choose from so we don’t give you the smoke and mirrors or creative advertising slogans or sales pitches,” its sales promotion reads.

Police are investigating how the fire was set – and why. Incredibly, despite the intense heat and danger, there were no injuries.

GO transit starts up and shuts down repeatedly

What constitutes a five alarm fire?

Photo courtesy CityNews viewer Owen Baker