The public is being urged to avoid crowding the area during an emergency after local firefighters struggled to access the scene of a debris fire in east Chatham.
Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue responded to a fire that was producing thick black smoke near the railroad tracks at the end of Wellington Street East, shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, which involved several rubber railroad crossing panels.
No injuries were reported and the cause remains undetermined at this time.
Fire Chief Chris Case said the crowds and vehicles that gathered at the scene made it very difficult for additional fire crews to respond.
“We were hampered due to the large number of people who had filled the streets trying to watch the fire,” he said. “I know it was a lot of smoke and people came, but I’ve got to be honest, it’s been a lot of years since I’ve seen that much gridlock with people filming and just trying to get close to a burning pile of rubber.”
Case said the Chatham-Kent Police Service was forced to block off several roads to provide emergency crews access to the area.
“In the future, people have got to be mindful that we’ve got to get very large fire trucks in and out of the area when there’s a fire,” he said.
To ensure the safety of local residents and emergency responders, the public is asked to avoid the area in the event of a fire, vehicle collision or other emergency situation.