Pipeline involved in wildland fire, Yellowhead County says
A pipeline was involved in a wildfire in western Alberta on Tuesday, Yellowhead County says.
By the afternoon, the fire 35 kilometres northwest of Edson had grown to 10 hectares in size.
"On arrival, it was determined that there was pipeline involvement," Yellowhead County wrote online.
"Yellowhead County worked with the gas company to shut the pipeline in. There is no more leaking gas."
TC Energy, owner of the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) Grande Prairie Mainline, told CTV News Edmonton it was notified of the fire around 11 a.m.
According to the Canada Energy Regulator, early information suggests the 36-inch natural gas pipeline ruptured around 10:45 a.m. north of the intersection of Swanson Road and Emerson Road.
"We are coordinating with emergency first responders," a statement from TC Energy read. "The affected section of the pipeline has been isolated and shut down. There are no reported injuries."
The rupture caused both an initial ignition of natural gas at the rupture site and the wildland fire. The intial ignition was extinguished, according to TC Energy, which said it was helping Alberta Wildfire respond to the larger blaze.
An update from the provincial service at 7 p.m. said the fire was being held.
Caroline Charbonneau, an Alberta Wildfire information officer in the Edson area, told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday she couldn't confirm an explosion but that a large flame could be seen "from a distance" by area residents and from nearby major highways.
She added that the current dry grass conditions in the Edson area mean wildfires can catch and burn quickly. She said any spark, hot exhaust or friction near dry vegetation can cause a wildfire.
TC Energy's NGTL pipeline system transports natural gas from Alberta and northeast B.C. to domestic and export markets. The system spans 24,631 kilometres and connects with TC Energy's Canadian Mainline system, Foothills system and other third-party pipelines.
While some of TC Energy's customers were temporarily impacted while the affected pipeline segment was being isolated, the company said late Tuesday afternoon that the remainder of its system was operating normally.
“There are no commercial impacts at this time. We continue to communicate directly with our customers,” the company said.
“We are working closely with regulators and authorities and will cooperate in an investigation of this incident.”
Yellowhead County, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, and the Canada Energy Regulator are all investigating.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.