A scrapyard fire in Montreal’s east end has led to preventive lockdowns of all health facilities in the area.
Montreal’s public health department issued an air quality alert after an outdoor vehicle-recycling plant caught fire early this morning near Highway 40.
Anik Vaillancourt with the city’s fire department says 24 fire trucks and 55 firefighters were dispatched to control the fire, which was still burning by 11 a.m.
Quebec’s Environment Department says it thinks the fire was caused by a lithium battery and spread to piles of scrap metal. It adds that the fire was contained to the scrapyard though thick clouds of black smoke spread an acrid smell across the city and the Montérégie area.
The department’s emergency team locked down all health facilities in the area as a preventive measure. According to the IQAir website, the air quality near Highway 40 in Montreal is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The City of Montreal says it has since revoked operating permits for American Iron & Metal, citing ongoing violations of air quality standards and repeated failures to comply with environmental regulations.
In a statement Thursday, the city said the decision was made to protect air quality for residents after years of non-compliance at the company’s Montréal-Est scrapyard.
According to the city, monitoring results have consistently shown emissions exceeding permitted limits for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), particulate matter and certain metals, including arsenic, at the boundary of the site.
The city said it had repeatedly asked American Iron & Metal to bring its operations into compliance, including a formal request in May 2025 for a clear plan to meet regulatory limits under municipal bylaw 2001-10.
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