Wildfire now under control, but it could take 'several days' for it to be extinguished, information coordinator says
A rupture in a natural gas pipeline owned by TC Energy Corp. sparked a wildfire in Alberta on Tuesday.
The fire incident involves the NGTL natural gas system, located approximately 40 kilometres northwest of Edson, Alta in Yellowhead County, according to a report from The Globe and Mail.
There were no injuries, and the fire was never a threat to any surrounding communities.
The Canada Energy Regulator had inspectors on site Wednesday to monitor the company’s response.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire is under control.
“Alberta Wildfirev confirmed that the secondary fire is under control and does not pose a threat to any community. We are committed to continuing support for Alberta Wildfire in its response going forward as required,” said TC Energy.
The affected pipeline segment was isolated and shut in and there is no more gas leaking from the pipeline, according to The Globe and Mail.
However, Caroline Charbonneau, area information coordinator with Alberta Forestry and Parks, said that their work is far from done.
“For it to be considered extinguished, we’re going to have to hot spot,” she said in The Globe and Mail report.
“That means we’ll have to dig into the ground, look and feel for hot spots, and then douse it with water. And that could take several days.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is investigating the incident.
“We continue to work closely with regulatory agencies and authorities and will cooperate in their investigation of this incident,” said TC Energy. “We also remain committed to keeping stakeholders and Indigenous communities apprised of our response.”
There have been 12 natural gas pipeline ruptures in Canada since 2008, and Tuesday’s incident near Edson was the first rupture on that particular pipeline within that time period, the CER noted, according to The Globe and Mail report.
