An Industrial Fire & Explosion In St. Catharines Has Forced Nearby Evacuations (VIDEOS)
One person suffered burns.
St. Catharines Fire Rescue truck. Right: Footage of an industrial fire.
An industrial fire and explosion in St. Catharines, Ontario Thursday forced the evacuation of several nearby homes and businesses while one person was also sent to hospital with burns.
The fire broke out at around 6:35 a.m., on Keefer Road, in the northeast end of the city, inside a building operated by a hazardous materials company, Sonix, which deals with different chemical compounds.
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"We had reports of explosions," St. Catharines Fire Chief Dave Upper told CP24 at the scene. "The explosions were continuing in the facility for about a good 45 minutes while they (fire crews) were on scene."
Dina Mavridis captured a video of the flames from a distance and posted it to Twitter.
"Very scary. I initially thought a tree fell on our house, the bang was so loud," the tweet read. "I hope everyone is okay."
Very scary. I initially thought a tree fell on our house, the bang was so loud. I hope everyone is okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/gPrbv9tfug
— Dina Mavridis (Constantia Mavridis) (@DivaMargaritas) January 12, 2023
The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) said its officers were evacuating nearby homes and businesses just before 7:30 a.m.
"We are asking members of the public, north of this location, to stay indoors and out of any smoke," police said in a statement. "Do not come to the area."
Additional tweets from St. Catharines Fire Sevices advised residents in certain areas to shelter in place and to "close your windows and doors and turn off your furnace to avoid letting air get in."
\u201cInitial explosion at 20 Keefer Road in St. Catharines captured on CCTV camera this morning. Viewer discretion advised.\u201d— Niagara_411 \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 (@Niagara_411 \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6) 1673528881
Niagara Student Transportation Services also advised that the fire was causing "significant delays" and "possible route cancellations" Thursday morning.
Fire officials said the Ministry of Environment, Hazmat crews, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and the Office of the Fire Marshal have all been called in to help with the investigation.
At one point, the fire had spread to a nearby industrial building, but as of 9:30 a.m., NRPS confirmed that the fire had been contained and said residents would be advised when they could safely return to their homes.