Quarry fire in St-Lazare still burning five days later [Video]

You won’t see flames, but there’s still smoke emanating from a burning pile of debris at the Chevrier et Fils Sand Quarry in Saint-Lazare.

The fire was first reported on Sunday and five days later, fire crews from Saint-Lazare and the surrounding communities have been working around the clock to extinguish the blaze.

Fire Department Director Alain Deguire said the cause of the fire was likely spontaneous combustion, something that can happen when decaying vegetation such as trees, roots and stumps are piled on top of one another.

“It’s been piled up to 30 feet high,” he said. “And we know that organic material, by itself can start heating some things, with the climate conditions that we have.”

Extinguishing the fire has been complicated by the cold weather, he added.

They haven’t been able to get to the source of the fire yet since heavy machines must dismantle the pile …