What started as a forest fire outside of the town of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, just west of Montreal, has started to encroach on a big industrial park, a spokesperson for the town says.
The spokesperson told CTV that many firefighters are on scene and it will be hours before more is known about the extent of the damage.
Locals posted photos of water bombers flying overhead as firefighters battled the flames. The industrial park, which includes a port onto the river, includes many different properties with different industrial materials.
The Perron industrial park is home to at least 44 companies listed on its website, including a seller of chemical products, an asphalt producer, a steel supplier and many other manufacturers of various products.
It also has a tank farm, Valleytank, that offers “storage and handling facilities for a wide range of bulk liquids primarily on behalf of chemical companies,” according to the company’s website.
Local news outlet NeoMedia reported that the fire started near the JPB recycling company on Thursday afternoon, and that provincial police had arrived to evacuate people from nearby.
Another man posted a video showing an excavation company surrounded by tall flames at the park.
While the town spokesperson called it a forest fire, local media referred to it as a brush fire. Videos showed a burning field nearby.