Hamilton firefighters are battling a blaze at the Maple Leaf Rothsay rendering plant near Greensville.

The fire started in a 100-gallon vat of animal fat, said fire safety officer John Verbeek. The four employees in the building used fire extinguishers to try to combat the blaze before the building was evacuated. No injuries have been reported.

Emergency personnel are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

The plant is on Highway 5, just west of Brock Road. Police have closed Highway 5 between Middletown Road and Brock Road in Flamborough to traffic as heavy black smoke was billowing toward the highway. Surrounding homes have also been evacuated.
Firefighters have called in extra tankers and pumpers to help with the effort, and Hamilton police and OPP are on scene.