Fire crews tackle flames at abandoned former McCormick factory

A fire on the roof of the old McCormick factory closed a section of Dundas Street East Tuesday afternoon and sent fire crews scrambling up ladders to put out the flames. 

The site, located on Dundas Street just west of Ashland Avenue, is under construction to make way for a residential and mix-use commercial space.

Fire crews were called to the scene after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire started in small structure located on the roof of the building, which has been abandoned for years. 

Firefighters used two aerial trucks to get to the fire and extinguish the flames. 

No one was hurt, but London Fire Platoon Chief Shaun Fitzgerald said the condition of the roof made it a tricky fire to fight. 

"Crews are being cautious because the roof is very spongy because of it being a dilapidated building," he said.

More than 30 firefighters were on scene and westbound traffic was being diverted off Dundas onto Ashland. 

The street reopened to traffic at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

A fire inspector has been called to the scene. So far there is no word on what may have caused the fire. 

Fitzgerald said abandoned structures like the McCormick building pose a significant fire hazard.

"There's no alarm systems, generally they're open space," he said. "Fire can travel quickly and they're not maintained."

Fitzgerald said people have been known to enter the boarded-up four-storey building, though it's unknown if anyone was inside at the time the fire broke out.