Explosive blaze rocks Nisku industrial area
Pressurized containers and chemical products fuelled a massive outdoor fire in a Nisku industrial area Wednesday night.
A crew of more than 40 firefighters from Nisku, Calmar, Leduc and the Edmonton International Airport responded to the fire in the area of 9th Street and 15th Avenue around 10 p.m., Leduc County Fire Services said in a news release Thursday morning.
The fire was brought under control, but crews remained on scene later Thursday to control minor flares. There were no injuries reported, deputy fire chief Tylor Bennett said in the news release.
Brian Curry was working in a shop a few blocks away when he heard loud pops like fireworks.
“I saw all the smoke and red glow in the skyline so I jumped in the truck and drove down there,” he said.
Fire crews were battling the blaze when Curry arrived at the scene around the Recycle Systems Company, which recycles aerosols and compressed gas products. Curry said the explosions were so loud it sounded like constant gun shots.
“You could see cylinders flying up in the air,” he added. “The black smoke was getting pretty thick.”
Curry only stayed in the immediate area for a few minutes, but said he could still hear quieter explosions around 1:30 a.m. from his shop.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, the news release said.