Smouldering fire closer to being doused

Crews are making headway against a fire that has been smouldering forjust over a weekat a recycling plant in southeast Calgary, officials say.

A heap of scrap auto-parts, rubber and plastics has been slowly burning at Calgary Metal Recycling in the 3400 block of Ogden Road S.E.

On Monday crews were able to start transferring cooled material away from the fire, allowing them to attack the remaining hot spots more directly, city officials said.

"The strategy is now to expose the most heated portions of the pile by pulling heated material away from the pile and quenching it with water. The effects are similar to putting a campfire out," the city said in a release.

Crews expect to reach the hottest portion of the pile by late Tuesday.

Air quality is still being monitored to ensure that Calgarians are not in any danger, the city said.

Ogden Road from Bonnybrook Road to 38th Street S.E. is still closed.