Crews battle two-alarm fire at Tomlinson waste facility

Fire rips through recycling facility Tomlinson recycling facility catches fire in West Ottawa. No one was hurt. CTV's Leah Larocque reports.

OTTAWA — Firefighters remain at the scene of a two-alarm fire at a recycling facility in the west end, in what officials are describing as a "major operation."

The fire at the Tomlinson Waste Recovery Centre on Westhunt Drive broke out just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, and the building quickly became fully engulfed in flames.

The first crews at the scene focused on preventing nearby fuel tanks and other buildings from igniting. Other crews set up aerial ladder vehicles on all sides of the building to fight the fire from above, officials said.

Tanker trucks were required to bring more water in from a hearby hydrant, and HazMat teams are on scene "working to control the runoff from entering the surrounding ditches," Ottawa Fire Services said in a release.

Fire officials say there is no risk to public safety.

A specialized foam truck was also used to smother the flames, and Tomlinson teams are helping firefighters open up sections of the metal walls to put out the fire inside.

Ottawa Fire has 41 vehicles at the scene, including a dozen tanker trucks.

“Because it is a metal structure, the heat is being trapped in by the metal roof and metal walls, so we're working with Tomlinson to use heavy equipment to open walls and cool it down and get to the fire," Ottawa Fire Public Information Officer Carson Tharris told CTV News Ottawa.

No injuries have been reported. Officials are stilll asking people to avoid the area.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Tomlinson said it was grateful no one was hurt.

"Tomlinson is grateful that all staff at the facility are safe. Over the coming days we will work with investigators to determine the cause of the fire," the statement said. "Tomlinson is thankful to the first responders - Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Paramedic Service and others who have been working on the scene."