Fire at Manitoba Asphalt Plant Forces EvacuationsFire at Manitoba Asphalt Plant Forces Evacuations

October 24, 2018

1 Min Read
Fire at Manitoba Asphalt Plant Forces Evacuations
The Pounder Emulsions asphalt plant in Transcona, MB. Image courtesy of Google Maps

A fire at a Transcona, MB asphalt plant on Monday sent a large volume of smoke into the air, forcing officials to evacuate businesses and a school near the facility.

Crews responded to the Pounder Emulsions plant located near Winnipeg at about 10 a.m., arriving to find several asphalt tanks ablaze, the City of Winnipeg stated in a press release. Some four million liters of liquid asphalt and diesel oil were involved in the blaze, coverage by the Winnipeg Free Presssaid. 

An evacuation order was issued for businesses and a school within 800 meters of the Pounder Emulsions facility due to the amount of smoke generated from the fire, according to the city government. Provincial officials monitoring air quality around the site found no concentrations of hazardous gases and the order was lifted at 5:30 p.m.

Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control by 4:30 p.m., but crews remained at the Transcona site overnight to cool the asphalt tanks and monitor the situation. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

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