Fire Still Burning At Minto Tire Recycling Facility

Crews are making progress as they battle a massive tire fire at a recycling facility in Minto.

The fire broke out late Friday night at TRACC Tire Recycling, located east of Fredericton, and has been burning ever since.

Geoffrey Downey, a spokesperson with New Brunswick EMO, said crews are switching strategy in fighting the flames.

“Right now, the strategy is to drop enough sand on it to rob the fire of oxygen and snuff it out that way,” said Downey on Monday morning.

Firefighters from more than 20 departments have battled high heat and thick smoke over the past few days.

The facility’s building was also on fire at one point but the extent of damage is not yet known.

Downey said the response from fire officials and the community has been tremendous.

“I can’t say enough about how nearby and some not-so-nearby communities have contributed to get this under control,” he said.

While the fire may be contained, Downey said it is too soon to say how long the flames might burn for.

“This is a first-time operation for pretty much everyone involved,” he said.

“There’s lots of unknowns in terms of even how much sand is going to be needed, what the area they’re working on is like, the tires have been burning for a while now so how liquefied are they.”

It will also take time for officials to get into the scene to investigate the cause, said Downey.

An air quality advisory was issued for the Minto-Chipman area Saturday and remained in effect Monday.

Residents are asked to stay inside as much as possible, keep their air exchangers off, and reduce levels of physical activity.

“If anyone’s experiencing any difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, and they think it might be linked to the smoke, we’re encouraging them to contact a doctor as soon as possible.

The province also issued a water advisory Monday afternoon for users of the industrial park water system, which includes residents of the W.G. Bishop Nursing Home and staff and users of the Queens North Community Health Centre.

Users should not consume their drinking water until assessments and testing of the industrial park water system show that the water is safe to drink, said the province.

“If residents outside the industrial park area notice a change in the quality of their well water such as odours or a change in the colour of their drinking water, they should contact the municipality and the Department of Health at 506-453-2830,” said Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey, regional medical officer of health, in a statement.

“Public Health officials are continuously working with the Department of Environment and Local Government and the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization to assess the situation and assist in determining a course of action.”