Fifty firefighters from across the region battled a massive fire at Permacon Industrial Plant in North Dumfries Saturday morning.
The fire broke out at around 8 a.m. in the southwest corner of the 200,000-square-foot concrete manufacturing facility on Rife Road just off Dumfries Road.
North Dumfries Fire Department was called to the scene as thick plumes of smoke rose into the sky and could be seen from miles away.
Due to a lack of fire hydrants and the absence of a sprinkler system in the building, tankers were used to shuttle water to the scene and six maintenance workers were evacuated.
After Mutual Aid was activated, seven fire departments from across the region provided support.
The Cambridge Fire Department and Kitchener Fire Department each provided an aerial ladder and a tanker truck. Waterloo sent a tanker, while New Dundee provided a tanker, pumper and rescue truck. Baden, Paris and Plattsville each contributed a tanker to assist with water shuttling.
North Dumfries crews led the response with two tankers, two pumpers and a rescue truck.
“At the height of the event, approximately 50 fire personnel and 16 apparatus were on-scene from seven area Fire Departments,” Andrew McNeely, North Dumfries chief administrative officer, said in a statement.
McNeely noted that the Cambridge Fire Department’s aerial ladder and tanker were particularly critical in controlling the blaze.
“This is what neighbours are for and with no loss of lives. Beats borrowing a cup of sugar,” Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett said in an email.
After knocking down the blaze completely, the crews left the area at about 5 p.m.
“The fire loss was limited to the southwest corner of the building representing an area of approximately one-third of the overall building,” McNeely said.
The fire is being treated as not suspicious and no one was injured.
While the exact loss estimate has not yet been determined, fire Chief Robert Shantz expects the damages to be “extremely high.”