A fire Thursday caused major damage to a Regina metal business.
CMS Metal Products, located near the corner of Winnipeg Street and Eighth Avenue, caught fire shortly after 1 p.m.
Noxious smoke bellowed out of the workshop, and the siding was reduced to a blackened mess.
It’s damage that Deputy Fire Chief Neil Sundeen called “considerable.”
Luckily, all employees managed to escape and nobody was hurt in the blaze.
“It’s a pretty warm day, and our crews worked really hard to knock this fire down,” Sundeen said. “I’m very proud of the work these guys did.”
Four engines equipped with pumps and an aerial ladder unit were at the scene.
In an industrial fire like this, the scene was full of danger and potential hazards.
“(When we show up,) we don’t know what’s inside. In an industry like this, there are oils, fuels, compressed gas … all kinds of hazards that, when they get hot, it doesn’t usually end well,” Sundeen explained.
“The idea is, ‘Get (the fire) out as quickly as you can so it doesn’t get any bigger.’ ”
The firefighters’ insulated breathing devices were vital in protecting them from any potential harm to their lungs.
“The smoke coming from this fire was … very unpleasant and very acrid,” Sundeen said.
The majority of the damage was contained to the west wing of the building.
The fire department isn’t sure of the cause yet, but investigators were on the scene while the blaze was being extinguished.