May 16, 2018 - vain, he fled to the roof and joined 2 supervisors who had also escaped. Firefighters used an aerial plat
May 16, 2018
News Release
400 Horton Street East London, Ontario N6B 1L7 Phone: 519 661-4565 Fax: 519 661-8419 For Immediate Release
Kellogg’s Blaze Illustrates the Dangers When Workers Try to Fight Fires While others fled from a fire at the former Kellogg’s plant yesterday afternoon, one man stayed behind and emptied 3 fire extinguishers in an unsuccessful attempt to put the fire out. He suffered considerable smoke inhalation. The man and 2 other workers were cutting apart a large industrial filter with torches when dust inside the equipment caught fire which grew rapidly, putting out thick black smoke. 2 of the workers fled the scene and firefighters helped them to evacuate. They were treated for smoke inhalation. When it became clear to the 3rd worker his efforts to fight the fire were in vain, he fled to the roof and joined 2 supervisors who had also escaped. Firefighters used an aerial platform ladder truck to evacuate them from the roof. “This incident should serve as a warning to others who may find themselves in a similar situation” said Assistant Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Fitzgerald. “People should be aware of the extreme danger in staying behind to fight a fire themselves. While the man survived, it was definitely a close call. He took in smoke the whole time he was trying to put the fire out. The focus for workers and people in their homes should be on evacuating immediately and calling 911 so firefighters can respond as soon as possible. Fortunately, Station Number 2 is only a few blocks away, so our response was very quick.” It took a team of firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the flames. One challenge was working around changes to the inside of the building which is being repurposed. For further information: Assistant Deputy Chief Shawn Fitzgerald Office: 519 661-2489 (CITY) ext. 5621
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