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Crews battle large fire at General Scrap
Firefighters from Winnipeg and the RM of Springfield are battling a fire at General Scrap on Springfield Road in Winnipeg on Tuesday evening. ( JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
Fire crews went racing down Springfield Road Tuesday night as black smoke poured from an industrial yard belonging to General Scrap.
Dick Vlaming, chief of the RM of Springfield's fire department, said fire crews responded to the blaze at about 5 p.m. and it's still unknown what the cause is.
"Right now it's a scrap pile that has got very hot and it's burning in the middle of the pile and we can't get water on it right now," said Vlaming.
"We want to get this fire out as soon as possible," he said.
He said crews were stopping the blaze from spreading and a chopper was being used as part of the firefighting efforts. There were about 15 fire trucks to assist with battling the blazes.
Vlaming said and no injuries have been reported as of 8 p.m. He said none of the machinery at General Scrap had been damaged in the fire. Smoke from the fire was heading northbound.
Vlaming said the scrap and cars were melting, and there was a "white flame" in the middle of the pile."
"It's a tough fire to fight," he said. "You need lots of water."
He estimated damage at $100,000 to $200,000 so far, but said he expected that figure to increase.
Vince Wiebe, who works at nearby company Bucks Auto Parts, said the yard where the fire is burning usually holds more than 1,000 cars waiting to be shredded.
Rylee, who works for a nearby business, said he noticed a single car on fire before it spread to others in the pile.
Traffic had been shut down on Bismarck by late Tuesday afternoon, with only emergency crews allowed in and out. An RCMP officer on scene said Springfield Road has been closed to traffic between Lagimodiere Boulevard and Day Street.
The view from the the hill at the nearby Chris McCubbins Cross Country Trails, across the street from the fire, shows orange flames shooting from the pile.
Gabrielle.Giroday@freepress.mb.ca
History
Updated on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 7:12 PM CDT: adds road closure
8:19 PM: adds comments from Springfield FD chief
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