Fire, explosion rock Calgary distillery – no injuries reported
January 18, 2023
By
OHS Canada
No injuries are reported following an explosion at a distillery in Calgary on Tuesday.
At about 1:20 p.m. on Jan. 17, fire crews responded to Alberta Distillers in the 1500 block of 34 Avenue S.E. for reports of an explosion.
The smoke plume could be seen from the Highfield 16 Fire Station several blocks from the incident, the fire department said.
“This prompted the fire captain to immediately call a working fire while still en-route to the scene,” it said in a press release.
100 workers evacuated
About 100 employees evacuated as per their emergency protocol due to the activation of the fire alarm system, it said.
One employee was reported to be in the building where the explosion occurred but escaped without incident.
Explosion happened in brewing area
The explosion occurred in an area of the complex called the “dry house area” or “brewing area” in the ductwork located on the roof. Damage as a result of the explosion appears to be limited to a large vessel and ductwork on the roof, according to the Calgary Fire Department.
“The building’s fire suppression system activated and started working as intended, successfully containing the fire to the area of origin. Fire crews will remain on scene until there are no further hot spots found,” it said.
Anybody who has photos or video of this incident to share with the investigator can email them to piofire@calgary.ca.