Investigation into propane explosion in Barrie continues

BARRIE, ONT. -

The cause of a propane explosion in Barrie's south end remains under investigation.

On Friday, July 30th, around two o'clock, fire crews were called to the area of Lockhart Road, south of Mapleview Drive, and found flames as black smoke filled the air above Superior Propane on Bayview Drive.

Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze within hours; however, as of Saturday, crews returned to the scene to remove the remaining propane from the area.

"This is a pretty tough investigation; certainly, the fire causes a lot of damage and destroys some of the evidence, however between the witness statements and fire patterns and the physical evidence left behind, that really helps us determine the origin and cause of the fire, said Chris Lawson, Operations Manager with Ontario Fire Marshalls Office.

According to Lawson, as the investigation continues, the evacuation zone also remains in place as an extra public measure as crews work to identify possible equipment damages.

"Certainly, we have a good area of origin right now, so we just need to look at what was the ignition sequence inside that area," said Lawson.

Lawson says the Technical Standards and Safety Authority will be analyzing the investigation to ensure the safe handling of propane throughout the investigation.

Fire crews are expected to remain on the scene throughout the long weekend.