Alec Salloum
Regina Leader-Post
An early morning explosion at the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) on Tuesday shook houses in north Regina and was heard at least as far away as the Al Ritchie neighbourhood.
According to a statement from the refinery, there was “a fire in a unit in Section Three” at approximately 4:45 a.m.
“At this time, we can report that all personnel are accounted for with two employees being assessed for minor injuries. The incident has been contained and the impacted area has been stabilized. We will provide more information as the investigation into the incident progresses,” said the emailed statement from Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), which owns and operates the refinery.
Richard Exner, president of Unifor Local 594, told the Leader-Post later Tuesday morning there was a leak on a piece of equipment that led to the fire and explosion.
“Our first responder crew instantly responded, got water and assessed the situation. We’re proud of — proud and grateful for — their work,” said Exner, whose union represents workers at the CRC.
He said it’s his understanding that the two injured workers were checked out by EMS as “a precautionary measure,” but “they’re both fine.”
“It’s a scary incident, but we’re all trained professionals,” he added. “The members that were on that night, they did a really good job.”
Alarms blared
Following the explosion, CRC alarms could be heard throughout the city.
Kimberley Spencer, who lives near Arcola and Victoria avenues, said the explosion woke her up around 4:45 a.m.
“It felt like it shook the house. Then I opened my eyes and I said, ‘Oh my God, something happened’ and I heard alarms,” recalled Spencer, who initially thought she was dreaming.
The explosion scared her but “the alarms were even scarier,” she said, because she’d “never heard them before.”
Regina Fire and Protective Services (RFPS) arrived at the scene shortly after 4:49 a.m.
A social media post from the fire department said CRC crews had the situation under control and that RFPS was attending in a standby capacity into the morning.
This is not the first fire at the CRC in recent memory, with the latest occurring in August 2020 and causing an evacuation. As well, there have been more severe incidents at the refinery, such as an explosion in October 2011 that injured 52 workers. In May 2012, an oil pump overheated and ignited crude oil. Another fire broke out in February 2013 and a blast shook the city later that year on Christmas Eve.
“It’s a dangerous place to work and we know that,” said Exner. “We’re just happy that everybody is safe and the situation’s under control.”
— with files from Nykole King
alsalloum@postmedia.com
