REGINA - Regina Fire and Protective Services provided an update Monday morning on the massive explosion that demolished a residence in north central Regina.
At a news conference at City Hall, Deputy Fire Chief Gord Hewitt reported that around 10:50 a.m. on Nov. 13, Regina Fire responded to a major explosion at 6th Avenue and Retallack Street in Regina.
The explosion caused “major damage to the fourplex unit,” said Hewitt, and also nearby apartments, as well as damage to nearby homes and vehicles.
It was confirmed at the news conference that the building where the explosion took place was a Regina Housing property. Hewitt told reporters that the owner is reporting the property was vacant at the time, although they will learn more throughout the investigation.
The second apartment building next door was heavily damaged, said Hewitt. All the residents known to live in that building have been accounted for.
There was one injury reported: an individual who lived a couple of houses down had suffered minor injuries when one of the home’s windows exploded.
As for the extent of the damage, Hewitt noted explosions like this were rare.
“I’ve been in the fire service for 24 years and I haven’t seen anything like this,” said Hewitt.
“It sets you back a little bit when you show up and see that because it’s not common incident to occur.”
Hewitt said they worked with Regina Police Service to secure the location and evacuate some of the homes in the area. Fire crews went block by block to evacuate the properties and a Regina Transit unit was brought in to help people keep warm while they canvassed the neighbourhood. That Transit bus was set up on the scene within the first half hour after the explosion.
Both the fire department and the police increased their presence throughout the neighbourhood during the night. A line was set up through Service Regina where people could contact Regina Fire dispatch.
There were windows taken out at some of the properties around the neighbourhood due to the explosion, so Regina Fire worked to get those boarded up.
“Our number one priority is public safety,” said Hewitt. “Knowing the weather being cold, we wanted to make sure that we did ensure that some of those properties that lost their windows were boarded up for the purpose of warmth.”
The properties were fenced off Sunday night to make sure no members of the public could enter the site. Regina Police provided some security and drive-bys through the night to make sure people weren’t going in and out, and there was other security as well throughout the night.
Because of the extent of the damage to the two properties some heavy equipment was brought in. A backhoe was working there yesterday to assist inspectors as they were working to find the cause. That work is continuing Monday.
Some residents who were evacuated and whose homes were not affected were able to return home Sunday night. Two individuals who were living in the nearby apartment building have been displaced.
There were several traffic closures set up and Hewitt said those remain in place today, as the site is still unstable as crews continue to work on determining the cause. Security will remain on site until they complete the investigation and determine the site is safe.
Due to the nature of the incident Regina Police Services Bomb Squad was contacted. A member of the Bomb Squad is working with the fire department on the investigation.
There is no indication at this point that the explosion was suspicious in nature. The reason they wanted the Bomb Squad in, said Hewitt, was due to their “thorough knowledge of explosive incidents.”
The public continues to be asked to stay away from the area. The area is fenced off, and quite a bit of debris that has been cleaned up, but road closures will remain until the fire department feels it is safe for the public to enter the area.
They don’t know yet when they will have the area totally cleaned up. Because of the amount of damage, “it’s going to be a challenging task,” said Hewitt.
Regina Fire and Protective Services is hoping to provide a further update later today.
