One person was injured when flames erupted Monday afternoon at a Surrey, B.C. facility that recycles propane cylinders.
The fire was reported shortly before 1:30 p.m. at a property in the 13000 block of 116th Avenue. The property is shared by the recycling business and a truck repair company.
"Crews arrived and saw propane cylinders venting," Surrey Fire Department Asst. Chief Chris Keon said.
"There was a large amount of smoke and flames."
Firefighters immediately began dousing the area as Mounties closed nearby roads to keep the public at a distance. Highway 17 was closed in both directions, as were side streets near the scene, but roads were reopened as crews got the flames under control.
The three-alarm fire was a challenge because of the risk of explosion, Keon said.
"The problem with propane cylinders is the best way to put them out is to cool them until they stop venting… It's very dangerous," he told CTV News.
Keon said one person was injured and had to be hospitalized, but he did not know the extent of their injuries. The person was not a firefighter, he said.
"There was some projectiles. Those were small propane cylinders," Keon said.
The cause of the fire and estimated damage caused by the blaze are not yet known, but Keon said there was structural damage to an outbuilding and another structure.
Officials said there will be an investigation into what happened.
