Dumpster fire put out at Innovation Centre

Elgin Innovation Centre Property Manager Eric Bartlett, seen in the middle of this photo by the back of the fire truck, put out a dumpster fire in the north end of the building with an extinguisher before the Aylmer Fire Department could arrive on the scene at about 9 a.m. on Friday, July 3. The Innovation Centre, located in the former Imperial Tobacco plant at 516 John Street North, is on the border of Aylmer and Malahide and the northern end of the facility is within Malahide. Aylmer firefighters usually respond first to any emergency calls to the Innovation Centre and if the source of the emergency is in the north end of the building, Malahide firefighters arrive later to take over which was what happened with this instance. Mr. Bartlett said no one was working in the north end of the Innovation Centre at the time of the fire. He believed the fire was caused by “self combustion.” The fire caused the sprinkler system in that part of the building to be set off.