An industrial explosion at a crude oil tank farm took place Saturday afternoon at SECURE Energy’s Elk Point facility northeast of Edmonton.
“Talking to some of the locals, they heard the percussion. Some felt the percussion when it happened, ”said Two Hills County’s Reeve Don Gulayec.
Gulayec said that more than 35 firefighters from various departments along with RCMP and EMS responded initially.
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The county also cut off natural gas and electricity to the site.
“Basically, it is a tank farm that contains hydrocarbon material and they are all on fire. It’s huge. The thing is, you don’t know what the potential is for an explosion or things like that, ”said Gulayec.
Gulayec said industrial blast experts were hired to douse and control the fire. The Alberta Energy Regulator and an agency to monitor air quality were also on site. As a precautionary measure, the people who lived nearby were evacuated from their homes.
“There were no fatalities. Some people were injured from what I understand, but the extent of their injuries is unknown at this time, ”Gulayec said.
In a statement to Global News, Secure Energy said: “At approximately 2:35 pm MST on Saturday, October 23, 2021, a fire started at the SECURE Energy facility at Elk Point. Our emergency response plan began immediately, which included contacting local emergency authorities. “
“All employees are safe and accounted for. The fire was put out and we are working with all appropriate authorities to investigate the cause. The safety of our employees, the public and the environment remains our top priority. “
Gulayec said that, in the end, he is proud of the many men and women who volunteered to help fight this fire.
“It was a big fire for our area,” Gulayec said.
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Reference-globalnews.ca