The former Goodyear plant, plagued by arson several times already this year, was the site of another fire in the early hours of Monday morning, with crews remaining on the scene long after the blaze was extinguished has been extinguished to monitor smoke conditions and ensure the area is safe.
The plant has a lot of history in the community but unfortunately, most of its recent history is fire-related, with the plant the subject of two fires just 42 hours apart – one determined to be deliberately set – in March.
A cause of Monday’s blaze, which was called in just after midnight, has not yet been determined but Clarington Fire is asking residents to stay away from the area for their safety. There is no risk to air quality at this time.
Firefighters found heavy black smoke and visible flames on arrival but were able to contain the blaze before it spread. The fire caused a partial collapse of the north side of the building and the structure is considered “unstable,” the municipality said.
The back-to-back fires in the spring had then-Fire Chief David Speed calling the owners of the vacant building to ensure there is round-the-clock security to prevent further acts of vandalism and arson.
Six trucks responded to a fire set on Saturday March 13, with fire crews finding a contents fire on the third floor. No one was found inside and no injuries were reported but a spokesman for the department said the blaze appeared to be “intentionally set.”
Less than two days later fire crews were back at the building, abandoned since the tire plant closed in 2016, for another fire – this time in the office area.
The fire was extinguished quickly, all hot spots were confirmed cool and everything was under control within an hour, a statement from the fire department declared. One youth inside the building was taken to Lakeridge Health Bowmanville and treated for smoke inhalation.
The former Goodyear/ContiTech Continental site is slated for development and there is a mixed-use proposal called Goodyear Village on the books from Karmina Developments of Pickering.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber, which was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1898, expanded to Bowmanville in 1910 when the company bought the existing Durham Rubber Company and employed as many as 2,200 workers during its peak during the Second World War.
A series of layoffs in subsequent years reduced the workforce to about 100 by the time the plant hit the century mark and slowdowns in the mining, coal and tar sands sector – the major markets for the conveyor belts made at the time in Bowmanville – contributed to the closure of the plant (now operated by ContiTech Continental) in 2016.