Construction fire at college contained

Algonquin College was evacuated Thursday morning as fire crews tackled a blaze that blew up a propane cylinder at an on-campus construction site. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire alarms sounded in buildings A, B and C, and the three buildings at the Woodroffe Avenue campus were evacuated as a precaution. The fire department said crews were summoned at 9:40 a.m. by a 911 call to a fire near construction equipment in an outside courtyard at 1385 Woodroffe Ave. It appeared to be spreading and the first crew quickly declared a working fire and launched a “rapid-fire attack.” The flames reached a propane cylinder which exploded, but crews were able to secure other cylinders and gas tanks before they were engulfed. Black smoke billowed as tarps and insulation ignited but the fire didn’t spread to surrounding buildings and was under control by 10:10 a.m. and the damage stopped at 10:26 a.m. Firefighters remained to secure the scene as a fire investigator was dispatched to determine what happened, with the help of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority and the Ministry of Labour. Students took to social media to share images of the smoke and flames and reports of hearing an explosion. Ottawa Fire Services shared images of the scene taken by members of the service once it was safe to do so but had a message to civilian bystanders. “We would like to take this opportunity to remind students that their priority during incidents should be to evacuate to safety,” the service said in a news release. “If alarms are sounding, please evacuate. Also, capturing images should be a very low priority. You must get yourself out of harm’s way and be safe. Also, please listen carefully to instructions given from security personnel and/or first responders on scene.”