Jones Group Ltd says the GM smokestack was demolished with hydraulic excavators and “had all necessary permits.”

The stack at the former GM transmission plant was knocked down around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, after three previous demolition attempts were unsuccessful.

The removal came as a surprise to Windsor fire and city officials, as well as neighbours in the area, who thought they would get two days’ notice of the demolition.

City officials say if it was demolished with hydraulic excavators, then that's okay.

“After three failed attempts, city officials claiming it cost tax payers thousands of dollars for traffic control and emergency services to back roads, Jones Group Ltd. decided to demolish the structure saving taxpayers’ money and disrupting traffic around the plant,” said owner Terry Jones, in a statement.

Jones says they have paid “$858,000 in taxes and permit fees in the last year and feel they are entitled to some service.”

The Jones Group says it takes all negative comments on social media with a “grain of salt due to the merits of people not understanding the investment in the community and the magnitude of completing projects of this size.”

Orchard Height Properties Inc. hired Global Recycling to help perform the implosion.

Due to the noise, fire and police were dispatched to the area. Jones says after confirmation that the noise was from the tower falling, they left.

Windsor fire officials say they should have been notified.

"It puts the firefighters at risk it puts the residents at risk,” says Andrea Dejong, deputy fire chief. “When we put out seven fire trucks rolling through to a high risk call and it also takes them out of their response areas, so if there are other calls going on there may be a slight delay in getting back to other people."