Sixth day of Minto, N.B.'s tire fire saga continues while flames die down

Minto, N.B., worries about tire fire impact Minto, N.B., residents are concerned about the environmental impact of an ongoing tire fire. CTV's Laura Brown reports.

HALIFAX — A plume of smoke hung heavy over an industrial park in Minto, N.B., on Thursday – but it was an improvement from Friday when a tire fire began.

On Saturday, the clouds of smoke emitting from the TRACC recycling facility were thick, black and seemed as if efforts to douse the fire with water were in vain.

However, on Sunday, fire crews changed their strategy after receiving advice from other communities across North America who have also experienced tire fires. Instead of fighting the intense flames with water, fire crews employed the use of dozens of sand trucks throwing sand on top of the inferno to extinguish it.

During the holiday week, sand was transported back and forth in an attempt to smother the fire. Following 2,300 truckloads of dumped sand, the effort is showing signs of success, with officials saying the fire will be covered by sand within the next day or so – however it could smoulder for days or weeks yet.

“It's still an active fire – it's going to remain that way for some time,” says New Brunswick fire marshal, Michael Lewis. “Really, what we're looking to do is minimize the smoke impact above anything else – that's the focus for the time being.”

Water and air advisories in the area remain in place. Until testing is complete, anyone using the industrial park water source is being asked not to cook with, or drink the water from their taps – including a nearby health centre and nursing home.

Many in the community agree while plenty of unknowns regarding the long-term impact of the fire remain – it could have been much worse.

“Despite the unfortunate nature of having a disaster like this over the holidays, we've been lucky in one regard,” says New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization spokesperson, Geoffrey Downey. “There have been no reports of hospitalizations, and there have been no injuries reported related to the fire itself.”

Still, some residents remain concerned about the environmental impact of the fire and fumes. In a statement, the New Brunswick Department of Environment said it is working closely with the company's environmental management consultant:

”The consultant began taking air and water samples on Monday, Dec. 23. Samples have been sent for analysis and we’re awaiting the results. The department is overseeing the collection of those samples, which are continuing, and will also include soil when it’s safe to do so.”

According to its website, TRACC recycling facility transforms over 1,000,000 tires into various value-added products each year. The facility property is about eight acres, and some tires were able to be saved before catching fire. However, there's no word on how many tires were burned.

Meanwhile, many in the community are hoping the worst of the fire tire catastrophe is over.