A portion of Highway 400 in Toronto, Ont., was closed on April 14 after a chemical spill and reaction at a fertilizer plant released an orange cloud of toxic smoke. No injuries were reported, but occupants of the plant and nearby buildings were evacuated for several hours as emergency responders declared a level 3 HAZMAT situation..
Initial reports said the incident occurred at an aluminum plant, but fire officials later clarified the location as an industrial fertilizer factory. The name of the fertilizer facility was not revealed. Toronto firefighters and other emergency personnel responded at about 10:50 a.m., but refrained from using water for fear of exacerbating the reaction.
The reaction and cloud were allowed to dissipate on their own. Road closures lasted for nearly an hour, with most reopened at about 12:35 p.m.