Update: Damages estimated at $1M – Large fire at local tow yard closes Creekford Road

Update (Tuesday, Jul. 5, 2022):
Kingston Fire and Rescue have provided further details on the fire that broke out at Pat Rogers Towing yard on Creekford Road on Monday, Jul. 4, 2022.

According to the local fire department, the on-scene portion of the fire investigation has now concluded. Kingston Fire and Rescue has determined that the fire started in a service garage “during a routine operation.”

“The fire was isolated to the service garage and some surrounding vehicles. Run-off was contained to the general area,” Kingston Fire and Rescue said in an email on Tuesday, Jul. 5, 2022. “Run-off” refers to the fire water run-off that occurs in all fires tended to by firefighters, and may contain “products of incomplete combustion that often involve plastics, rubber, and other chemical compounds.” Kingston Fire and Rescue said that the property owner is working with City of Kingston officials and a clean-up contractor “to ensure any environmental impacts are assessed.”

The Ontario Fire Marshall was not called to assist in the investigation, and no injuries were sustained as a result of the fire, Kingston Fire and Rescue relayed, noting that fire damages are still being assessed.

Despite that, the local fire department indicated that the cost of damages due to the blaze is estimated at $1 million.

“Kingston Fire & Rescue would like to thank Kingston Police, Frontenac Paramedic Services, Utilities Kingston, and the City’s Environmental Services for their support at the scene,” they said.

Anyone who was outdoors in Kingston’s west end on the afternoon of Monday, Jul. 4, 2022, most likely saw a billowing cloud of thick, black smoke in the distance, as a fire at a tow yard in Westbrook grew to a substantial size, reflected by the smoke in the sky.

At approximately 2:20 p.m., Kingston Fire and Rescue was called to Pat Rogers Towing yard, located on Creekford Road in Westbrook, where a fire had broken out. Several fire trucks were dispatched to the facility, with even more Kingston Fire and Rescue vehicles sent to the scene afterwards. Just after 2:35 p.m., Kingston Police were called to assist the local fire department in holding the scene securely. Police closed a section of Creekford Road between Bayridge Drive and Gardiners Road.

“On arrival, fire crews observed heavy smoke and flames. Fire crews are currently on scene extinguishing the fire. No further details at this time,” Kingston Fire and Rescue relayed via email during the incident.

A representative from Pat Rogers Towing indicated that there were no employees in the building at the time the fire broke out, and that no injuries had been sustained as a result of the fire.

Creekford Road is expected to remain closed for several hours as Kingston Fire and Rescue crews continue to extinguish flames and put out hot spots. Traffic in the surrounding area is likely to be delayed during rush hour as a result.

The cause of the fire and the estimated cost of damages due to it are unknown at this time.

This article will be updated if/when more information becomes available.