A fire that tore through a City of Toronto operations building caused between $5 and $10 million in damage.
The fire broke out shortly before 2 a.m. on Tuesday, at a Scarborough Public Works building on Ellesmere Road near Midland Avenue. The building houses fleet, solid waste and transportation services.
Toronto Fire said a worker fuelling a vehicle heard popping sounds and looked inside the building’s service bay, spotted flames, and called 911.
The blaze spread quickly through the facility, causing extensive damage to the walls and roof.
A dozen fire trucks and 45 firefighters were called to the scene, and managed to get the blaze under control by 3:15 a.m.
Fire Capt. Michael Westwood said it is not yet known what caused the fire, but it may have started in one of the city vehicles.
He said a pickup truck and a garbage truck were both destroyed, but other vehicles may have been damaged.
Westwood estimated it is between $5 and $10 million. A worker at the facility said a garbage truck alone costs more than $300,000.
The Ontario Fire Marshal is still trying to determine the cause of the fire. The fire marshal is expected to provide a preliminary report by Thursday evening.
No one was injured in the blaze.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s John Musselman
