Fortunately, no one was hurt in a large fire that broke out overnight, damaging a section of an auto parts plant in Tillsonburg and leading to an estimated $10 million loss, impacting around 80 jobs, according to a fire official on Wednesday.
Marwood International Inc., which is a Tier 1 original equipment manufacturer for automotive structural components and modular assembly supplier, has six production sites in the area, with four located in Tillsonburg, one in Woodstock, and another in Ingersoll as per their website.
The fire began late Tuesday night at Marwood’s Plant 3 located at 101 Townline Rd. around 8:30 p. m., destroying machinery and a production area of approximately 930 square metres (10,000 square feet), stated Tillsonburg fire prevention officer Geoff Hayman during an interview with The Free Press.
Firefighters arrived at the scene around 8:35 p. m. to find thick smoke and visible flames, Hayman mentioned.
A team of about 45 firefighters from Tillsonburg, Norfolk County’s Courtland station, and Ingersoll fought the blaze for nearly five hours using two aerial trucks and three pumpers while operating defensively after part of the roof collapsed, he added.
The fire was brought under control by Wednesday at 1:30 a. m., with the last truck leaving the scene by 7:45 a. m., he noted.
Initial evaluations suggest damages could reach around $10 million due to structural destruction and the need to replace specialized equipment, according to Hayman.
“The concern obviously is whether or not it is an arson or an accidental fire,” Hayman said.
He indicated there was some “indication of equipment malfunction” near finished products stored in cardboard containers that “created a fire right next to some product that was ready for shipping.”
Employees at the plant tried to put out the flames using fire extinguishers but were unsuccessful. They then called for help from the fire department. By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had rapidly intensified due to available materials making it unsafe for them to enter,” he explained. “(Firefighters) attacked it from outside to control it and contain it to the central section.”
The entire plant covers about 9,290 square metres. Approximately 80 employees across two shifts will be affected as efforts are made to resume production.
“The building would be upward of 30 feet (nine metres) high with a steel structure that isn’t easy to access especially when there’s a fire within its center,” he mentioned. “The building had an operational sprinkler system which managed some portions of the blaze but couldn’t handle all of it.”
According to Oxford OPP Const. Matthew Foster, police are not investigating this incident further.
Tillsonburg Mayor Deb Gilvesy commended emergency crews for avoiding injuries and managing the situation effectively.
“To Marwood and the Marwood family, our town certainly sympathizes with what happened last evening,” she shared with The Free Press. “We are very thankful there were no injuries among firefighters or employees at the manufacturing facility; safety always comes first.”
Marwood International did not respond when asked for comments on this matter.
“Now, they’re working hard to get production back up while trying to lessen any negative effects from this incident. However, remediation of the structure will take some time,” Hayman noted.
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@Bea Baleeiro
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