Smoky Waste Fire in Vaughan, Ontario Prompts Warning to Keep Windows Closed

VAUGHAN, Ont. (CP) -- Residents living near a smoky fire at a waste transfer station in Vaughan, north of Toronto, were urged to keep their windows and doors closed early Wednesday.

The fire at the station erupted at about 7 p.m. Tuesday and could be burning for days.

``What we're advising people in the neighbourhood is to keep their doors and windows closed,'' said Vaughan deputy fire chief Greg Senay.

``The Ministry of the Environment has advised us that it's non-toxic,'' said Senay, adding that ministry officials planned to return to the site to take further air samples.

``It is smoke, it is an irritant and it does smell, there's no question about that,'' added Senay.

``Essentially it is waste building materials that are on fire... it is a very deep-seated fire - the pile's about 30 metres high.''

Senay said the site is tightly-packed with waste, which was making the firefighters' task more difficult.

``Our significant problem right now is that we have no room to move the material - it's piled from border to border,'' he said.

``We need to move the material and we need to dig through it - that's going to be a challenge for probably a couple of days.''

There were no injuries reported.