Major fire at abandoned scrapyard in Montreal North

FILE PHOTO (Daniel J. Rowe / CTV News Montreal)

A large fire broke out Thursday afternoon at an abandoned scrapyard in Montreal North, sending a thick plume of black smoke into the sky and surrounding area.

Montreal fire department spokesperson William Murray confirmed the blaze started around 1:20 p.m. The property is on Pelletier Avenue, near the intersection of Majeau Street. Tires were burning in the yard, which Murray said was abandoned and unoccupied at the time.

Murray said the fire was brought under control, though he could not say whether the smoke posed any toxicity concerns.

Air quality in the area deteriorated from good to acceptable, according to the Montreal IQA website, likely due to the smoke.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not been determined.