Students not at risk from propane fire
by Patrick MacIsaac

A minor explosion that occurred near a propane tank outside the east wing of Charlottetown Centre on Sept. 23 gave two first-year paramedicine students quite a scare.

Elaine Jackman and Shaun Watters were working on assignments in a second-floor computer lab that evening, when they both heard what they could only describe as a 'big bang'. The two rushed to the window to see a raging flame centralized in the vapourizing mechanism of the collegešs propane heating system.

'Elaine and I looked out the window and saw the propane tank with a big flame beside it,' Watters explained.

'I went to look for the janitor and Elaine called the fire department.'

Jackman and Watters, both of whom have served as volunteer firefighters in their hometowns of Wolfville, N.S. and Westville, N.S. respectively, rushed downstairs to meet the firefighters who were in quick response.

'We ran outside right after I got off the phone,' Jackman stated. 'The firetrucks were there after a few minutes...I'd say about two.'

Centre administrator Roger Vail arrived on the scene several minutes after the fire department.

'When I got there, I opened the lock (on the wire fence surrounding the tank) and turned off the valves,' Vail said.

'We called Irving, and the fire inspector came,' Vail explained. 'Everything was shut down and after it was cleaned out and inspected, it was turned back on again the next day.'

As Vail explained it, what likely happened was the strong winds caused by the tail-end of Hurricane Gertie caused the pilot flame to blow away from the opening out of which the propane passes. This allowed the vapourizer to fill up with propane, which the flame ignited causing the cover to blow off.

'That's probably the noise the students heard,' Vail suggested.

Vail also said that the chances of the incident escalating into a dangerous situation were very slim.

'In order for the tank to have blown up, the fire in the vapourizer would have to have burned long enough to heat the tank significantly enough to cause the propane to burn,' Vail said. 'The flame was not that strong, and it didn't have nearly enough time to do so before things were put under control.'

'I guess it was kind of scary for the students who saw it,' Vail added. 'But actually there was no real chance of danger.'