Emergency crews responded to a fire at an ethanol plant in Chatham Wednesday morning. The fire was reported at the ethanol plant located at 275 Bloomfield Road, according to emergency officials, around 8 a.m. As of 12 p.m. Wednesday, Bloomfield Road is closed between Riverview Drive and the railway tracks. The municipality says the fire may have started after a lightning strike, but it is still under investigation. Chatham-Kent says there are no indications of air quality issues as a result of the fire. “Ethanol is a clean-burning fuel that produces relatively low levels of smoke and airborne particles when burned,” it said. Cleanup crews are on scene. No injuries have been reported at this time. While Bloomfield is closed, businesses in the Richmond Street and Bloomfield Road area are open. Drivers are asked to follow posted signs and avoid the impacted area of Bloomfield while crews work.
