Propane blasts force thousands to flee homes

A SERIES of explosions at a propane facility in northern Toronto sent balls of flame soaring into the sky and forced thousands of people from their homes yesterday.

Only minor injuries were reported, but there were no clues about the cause of the predawn blasts.

With a number of fires still burning at the plant, police asked people within a 2km radius to leave their homes, fearful that two railcars of propane could still explode.

Amateur video showed an orange glow that rapidly grew into a fireball and then into billowing clouds of flames and smoke.

“Big balls of fire were falling down,” resident Tony Testa told CP-24 Television. “It was unbelievable. The house shifted. The front door — it’s a solid wooden door — it’s in pieces.”

Fire officials said they were focusing on ensuring the two railcars of propane were kept cool and vented.

The explosions rattled windows well away from the scene and closed a 16km stretch of one of Canada’s busiest highways, the 401 expressway.

A fire official said homes in the area were damaged, but it was not the worst post-explosion damage he had seen.

“I had furniture move across the room,” one witness said. “The whole building shook.”