Members of the Rocky View County Fire Department remain on the scene of a Sunday morning fire at the Scotts Canada Ltd.manufacturing plant near Airdrie.
Crews responded to the plant, located near the intersection of Range Road 284 and Township Road 274, shortly before 7:00 a.m. following reports of a fire. Firefighters launched a defensive stance as dark smoke billowed from the fertilizer warehouse.
Rocky View County Fire Chief Randy Smith says nearly 40 firefighters responded to the scene including crews from Crossfield, Irricana, Langdon and Balzac. The location of the building and the building itself presented unique challenges.
“It’s a rural area, there’s no water supplies so you’ll see water tenders coming in and dropping water," said Smith. The fire chief adds the size of the building, the packaging equipment and conveyor belts inside and the presence of fertilizer hindered the firefighting effort but crews were made aware of the contents of the facility. “The owners and the operators here have been phenomenal in getting us information here.”
The fire was extinguished and crews remained on scene into the afternoon to ensure hot spots did not reignite.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
“Once we’re able to clear the smoke out and have a look at it we’ll be able to determine where and how it started,” said Smith. “It’s far too early in the event to try to speculate on cause.”
No injuries have been reported.
