Fire crews spent several hours battling a major fire at an ethanol facility in Chatham early Wednesday after a storage tank holding roughly 700,000 litres of alcohol caught fire.
Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue was dispatched to Greenfield Global’s Bloomfield Road facility shortly after midnight. Crews found the tank farm at the rear of the property engulfed in flames.
The fire was contained to the storage tank area and was extinguished by about 8 a.m. Officials reported no damage to other parts of the plant.
No injuries were reported, and everyone working at the facility was accounted for and safe.
Initial information from Chatham-Kent suggests lightning may have sparked the blaze, although investigators have not confirmed the cause.
The response involved approximately 13 emergency vehicles and between 80 and 90 personnel, with assistance from St. Clair Township Fire Service and Nova Fire Response teams.
Greenfield Global says it is working with emergency officials and industry partners to address environmental and regulatory requirements. The company and fire officials have not yet released an estimate of the damage.