Toronto firefighters battle ‘out of control’ industrial fire

Toronto firefighters battled an "out of control" blaze at an industrial site in north Etobicoke Friday that ignited several explosions and forced nearby businesses to be evacuated.

The fire started at a commercial location on Vulcan Street in the early morning hours and quickly escalated, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop, who spoke to media near the scene. There are no reports of injuries.

Jessop said the building is home to a business that deals in oil and vehicle fluids like lubricants and solvants.

Twenty-four other businesses in the vicinity of the building have been evacuated and residents in the area are being advised to shelter in place and keep their windows closed, he added. Thick black smoke continued to billow from the site later Friday morning.

Firefighters are closely monitoring air quality and the Ontario environment ministry has been notified.

Jessop said he expects it could take most of the day to extinguish the blaze.

"This is going to be a very, very long day for our crews," he said, adding that part of the roof has collapsed, further limiting access to various parts of the fire.