Etobicoke Guardian

Nearly 140 firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze early Saturday morning at a south Etobicoke fish processing plant.

Toronto firefighters saw thick clouds of smoke rising from North Fish Company Ltd. when they arrived on scene at the 23 Six Point Rd. factory after the 7:20 a.m. call. Fire crews entered the building through its main office, but soon found the building extremely compartmentalized and smoky, said Toronto fire Capt. David Eckerman.

Extreme heat and smoke from the fire forced firefighters to withdraw from the building.

“During their interior searches, it became too dangerous. They had to withdraw from an interior attack to a defensive attack,” Eckerman said.

Twenty pieces of fire apparatus were on the scene. Some 48 fire trucks and 139 firefighters rotated in and out of the scene until firefighters knocked down the blaze around noon Sept. 29.

Toronto fire requested Toronto Hydro rush to the scene to cut power to overhead lines that endangered a parked pumper truck below.

CP trains in the area were stopped. Toronto police evacuated a few employees of a neighouring businesses, Sgt. Bart Evans of 22 Division reported.

Parts of the building collapsed. The building’s southeast corner and the entire west side completely collapsed. The north side of the building partially collapsed, Eckerman said.

No injuries were reported.

Damage is estimated at $5 million.

“The building appears as though it’s a complete loss,” Eckerman said.

The Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.