Evacuated residents cleared to return home after massive fire in Belleville, Ont.
Residents who were forced to evacuate after a massive fire sent smoke pluming into the sky high above Belleville, Ont. Sunday night have been cleared to return home, officials say.
The City of Belleville said in a news release published Monday afternoon that Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks had completed its assessment of the ash debris in the area and there is no danger to residents.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“Those who were evacuated may return to their homes and we suggest checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms as they may have been activated during the night,” the news release read.
Images from the scene of the fire, at Haig Road and Station Street, show a number of emergency vehicles responding to the blaze that left debris scattered over several nearby residential blocks.
A fire in Belleville, Ont. on Sunday Oct. 2, 2022 is seen in this image. (Source: Quinte Dispatch)
According to local media, the fire broke out just before 11 p.m. on Sunday and reached heights of up to 40 feet.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and it’s unclear if the fire resulted in any injuries.
CTV News Toronto has contacted Belleville Fire for more information.
Earlier in the day, residents were asked not to attempt clearing the ashes until the contents of the debris were tested.
Now that the assessment is complete, the city said crews have started cleaning affected areas. Residents have also been given the go ahead to dispose of debris on their property and are encouraged to wear gloves while doing so.
Area resident Darryl Ashley shared images of the fire’s aftermath on social media, which show thick chunks of debris covering nearby homes and at least one school.
The debris from a fire in Belleville, Ont. is seen in this image on Monday Oct. 3, 2022. (Source: Darryl Ashley)
The Belleville father told CTV News Toronto his daughter’s school was near the fire and that he surveyed the area on Monday morning.
“We have decided to keep her home until it is cleaned up and the air quality improves,” he said.
Ashley said bystanders told him the fire started near a lot at the north end of Haig Road which he said had housed large plastic-covered drums “for weeks.”
“I didn't want to get too close because of the stench and the toxins being released,” he said in an email.
Of the 150 homes that were evacuated, the City of Belleville said several residents were relocated to the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.