Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency brought a fire under control Monday night at the Halifax Grain Elevator in Nova Scotia, where flames broke out in the port facility's dust management system about 135 feet above the ground.
Crews responded to a 911 call reporting visible flames at the property at 730 Marginal Road at about 7:15 p.m., according to the Halifax Regional Municipality. The fire was declared under control at about 10:40 p.m., and crews had left the scene by the time the city issued its final update Tuesday morning. The city reported no injuries during the response.
The fire was contained to the south conveyor system's dust handling equipment and associated hopper infrastructure, the city said. Fire officials earlier placed it at the No. 28 loading facility within the elevator's dust-handling system. Coordinated work between fire crews and facility representatives kept the fire from spreading to surrounding structures.
The response reached three alarms at its peak. The fire department said 56 firefighters and 20 apparatus were on scene at one point, with seven crews mounting an offensive attack supported by aerial and drone operations. The Halifax Professional Fire Fighters, the union representing the city's firefighters, said multiple crews worked inside the structure and Fire Chief Deryn Rizzi was on scene overseeing operations.
Height and location shaped the attack. Dust handling equipment collects combustible material from grain flows, and a fire inside elevated ducts and hoppers limits how crews can reach it. The ship docked at the elevator added a second concern, and the department said crews worked to contain the fire while protecting the nearby vessel.
"This remains a complex incident due to the nature of the industrial infrastructure, the challenges associated with firefighting operations at significant heights and the presence of a vessel alongside the facility," the municipality said in a Monday night update.
The elevator sits on land owned by the Halifax Port Authority and is operated under lease by Halifax Grain Elevator Limited. According to the port authority's facility profile, its 365 silos hold 5,152,000 bushels, or 140,215 metric tons, of wheat, and Pier 28 has six grain towers that can deliver 50,000 bushels per hour. The company handles wheat, soybeans, barley and industrial wood pellets, with rail, truck and vessel access.
After crews finished, the scene was secured and turned over for investigation. The origin and cause of the fire have not been determined. Officials have not released a damage estimate or said whether receiving or vessel loading at the elevator has been affected.
