(Red Deer County file photo)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

UPDATED

Chemical fire in Burnt Lake Industrial Park under control

Jul 18, 2024 | 10:39 AM

UPDATE: July 18, 2:21 p.m.

Officials with the City of Red Deer say the situation in Burnt Lake Industrial Park has been mitigated, and there is no longer a smoke risk. Businesses can resume in both Burnt Lake and Queens Industrial Parks.

However, officials note that some local roads remain closed as emergency crews remain on-site to clean up. Residents are asked to please obey barricades and road closures.

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Blackfalds RCMP are still on scene at the chemical fire on Burnt Park Way. The fire has now been contained, however, crews are still on scene conducting cleanup.

At this time, RCMP have contained the area, including Burnt Lake Trail from Poplar Ridge to Burnt Basin Street, including Burnt Lake Crescent. As well, a section of Burnt Park Way from Burnt Lake Trail to Burnt Ridge Road is also closed.

Mounties ask you to please avoid the area.

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Investigators are looking into the cause of a chemical fire west of Red Deer early Thursday morning.

At 12:30 a.m. on July 18, Red Deer Emergency Services were among the crews that responded to a chemical fire at a chemical storage facility in the Burnt Lake Industrial Park.

As of 10 a.m., crews were still on-site in the “overhaul” stage, Red Deer County Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere said, meaning they were cleaning the site and ensuring the fire was fully extinguished.

Businesses in the area were ordered to evacuate and it has been closed to the public as an additional safety measure. Bussiere estimates the evacuation will continue into the afternoon, depending on how long cleaning and securing the site takes.

“When there is burning chemicals, we always try to be extra safe and just keep people out of the area until we know exactly what the risk could be or what the hazards are. At this point, because there’s a variation of chemicals involved, we’re just keeping everybody away to make sure we’re keeping everybody in the close vicinity safe,” he said.

Bussiere says a variety of chemicals were involved in the fire, and there was significant damage to the storage facility.

No civilians or firefighters were injured, and there does not appear to be damage to businesses beyond the original site, said Bussiere, although the site is still being assessed.

The cause of the fire is undetermined and currently being investigated.

The incident was attended by crews from Red Deer County, Red Deer Emergency Services (RDES), Sylvan Lake, Innisfail, Penhold, as well as Blackfalds RCMP.

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