PORT DARLINGTON, Ont. (CP) - Exploding gas tanks that went off "like rockets" and a blaze at a propane company forced the evacuation of hundreds of people late Tuesday, police said.
The fire near the waterfront in the community east of Toronto could be seen for miles and the explosions rocked homes in the area. "There was one big mushroom cloud followed by a series of smaller explosions, like somebody attacking something," said F. Harris, a resident in nearby Bowmanville. "You could see these things shooting into the air like rockets. The house was shaking."
Initially, it was feared that up to 5,000 people would be forced from their homes, but police later put the number at "hundreds."
Sgt. Paul Malik, a Durham police spokesman, said late Tuesday that the "area is completely evacuated right now. They (firefighters) are trying to determine how close they can get to the facility. No one has been injured."
"Hundreds (of evacuees) would be right at the particular time.
"It's still a really hot fire."
Tanks were still exploding nearly three hours after the fire started but Malik said the blaze "is somewhat controlled."
The fire also caused a power failure in the south end of Bowmanville.
Provincial police closed Highway 401, a major east-west corridor, for a few hours after reports that pieces of propane tanks were landing on road which runs near Lake Ontario.
Agnes Jones of Bowmanville lives about a five minute drive from a marina and adjoining two-storey hotel that is near the propane company.
"It sounded like a bunch of explosions, like hunters firing guns, except that the house was shaking."
The fire was about five kilometres east of the Darlington nuclear generating facility.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/11/09/707523-cp.html
The fire was about five kilometres east of the Darlington nuclear generating facility
Not thats to worry