By Connor Luczka
A fire at the Krug factory development at 93 Trinity St. is not deemed suspicious and had “little to no loss,” according to Stratford Fire Chief Neil Anderson.
On June 25 at approximately 5 p.m., the Stratford Fire Department received a call from a worker at the facility reporting a fire.
Anderson said the contractors were prepping a steel hopper for removal by cutting it out with torches when the wall of the hopper ignited.
“The contractors had extinguishers available on site, which were used to knock down the initial flames,” Anderson said in an emailed statement. “Some of the residual items in and around the hopper such as chip and sawdust and items of the like … smouldered and caught fire.”
When firefighters arrived on scene, flames were visible from outside. They extinguished the fire with their hose through a third-floor window with no interior fire attack required.
Within the hour the fire was completely out and the building ventilated.
The fire department has no further concerns and only the external part of the stone wall that the fire impinged upon was scorched.
“As the building has little inside, there was little to no loss. No injuries,” Anderson stated.
On the BMI Building for Better’s Facebook page, a subsect of the BMI Group which is reimagining the factory, the group thanked the site team and the fire department for their quick action to stop the fire.
“Thanks to a well-prepared team equipped with comprehensive fire protection measures and the prompt, efficient response of the Stratford Fire Department, the fire was quickly contained,” the statement reads. “We’re relieved to report that no one was hurt, only one window requires replacement and no further structural damage occurred.”
Furthermore, the group said they are implementing enhanced safety protocols to scan and clear crevices of compacted sawdust before cutwork.
“The Builders Block” as the developers are calling it, is a 382-residential plan that will convert the seven-acre Krug factory into a residential neighbourhood that includes townhouses, apartments and a 10-storey feature.