Five-alarm fire destroys business expansion in Anjou

CTV Montreal: Industrial fire A Montreal company's plan to expand has abruptly changed after their new building burned to the ground in a five-alarm fire.

A Montreal company's plan to expand has abruptly changed after their new building burned to the ground in a five-alarm fire.

Faspac Plastiks bought the Mirabau buliding on Jules Leger St. in January and had already begun producing plastic bags in the new location.

But shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday, something caught fire and the building was destroyed.

Steven Polidoro, the president of the company, was dismayed.

“It's very difficult,” he said. We've spent 32 years building this company and in just a couple of hours, it's all gone.” said Polidoro.

The new business had just started.

“We started renovating in January and two weeks ago we started production,” he said. “Most of the equipment was in already.”

About ten people were inside the plant overnight working on production.

One person was hurt, but everyone managed to get out of the building safely.

"One employee was taken to hospital, but it was only minor injuries," said Polidoro.

He is now trying to figure out how to maintain his business and keep 50 people employed.

Polidoro said Faspac Plastiks had one press that was partially dismantled in their old building "where the lease is up at the end of the month," and that early Tuesday morning he had already spoken to the landlord about what can be done.

Other plastic manufacturing companies have also offered to help out with older equipment.

On Tuesday firefighters said it would take several hours to extinguish the fire.

"Ten employees were in the building that was evacuated. Everyone got out safe, and then the structure collapsed," said John Primiani, chief of operations.

“Once there was the collapse of the building, which was pretty quick, it created quite a few cavities that we couldn't get to,” he added.

At noon 125 firefighters were still dealing with several hot spots.

Environment Quebec sent a mobile laboratory to the area to make sure the air is safe to breathe, and that dangerous chemicals were not produced when the plastics and other materials in the factory caught fire.

“Environment Canada, Environment Quebec, gave us a resume of the problems and the plastic, it's carbon, it's like a petroleum-based (substance), so it's not more toxic than if we were burning oil,” said Primiani.

The cause of the fire was accidental: Firefighters believe it began when an employee dropped a bottle of solvent on the floor, threw some rags on top and one hypothesis is that some static electricity from unravelling bags hit the solvent and ignited the fire.

Firefighters continued to tackle hotspots throughout the day as Polidoro watched his new building in ruins.

“It's not the end, it's a new beginning,” he said.