By Mike Anderson
According to a spokesperson from York Region, the Georgina Transfer Station will reopen on Monday, August 26, after a major garbage fire closed the facility earlier this month.
“Given the extent of the fire, structural and damage assessments with a structural engineer were completed, which has verified the building is safe,” Melissa Pinto told the Post.
“Further inspections and repairs are being conducted to prepare for the reopening, but are not expected to impact customers or services.”
According to Georgina Fire Chief Ron Jenkins, the fire began before 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, engulfing most of the garbage drop-off area. Luckily, staff had not arrived to begin their shift, so no injuries were reported.
Georgina Fire responded with seven apparatuses, and the firefighters quickly suppressed the flames. While the exact cause of the fire is unknown – an investigation does not occur if there is no dollar loss or injury – a household battery may have caused it.
A discarded car battery in a trailer containing construction debris caused a previous fire at the Transfer Station, which also shut down the facility two years ago. According to Jenkins, household batteries can cause fires when they are damaged, in this case, by heavy machinery used at the transfer station, like a garbage compactor or front-end loader.
“The acid could leak out, or the battery terminals could come into contact with metal and ignite combustibles around it and cause a fire,” he told the Post in 2022.
Jenkins urges residents to comply with York Region’s restrictions, which include not dropping off batteries or garbage bags filled with grass clippings.
For a list of materials accepted and hours of operation, visit www.York.ca/Wastedepots.
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