Propane problem causes explosion in basement
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Dec 20/00) - Guests staying at the Super 8 Motel were evacuated Monday night after an propane explosion rocked the building.
No one was hurt when liquid propane filled the lines of the motel's heating system but the boom was felt by guests in their rooms and in the elevator.
"The pressure from the propane explosion vented up the stairwell and actually caused walls to separate from the ceiling from the first floor to the third floor," explained Yellowknife Fire Chief Mike Beauchamp.
He said the fire department interviewed four guests, two who were in a room on the second floor and two in an elevator.
"The people were a bit shook up but that's to be expected," said Super 8's manager Kathleen Hurley. "All the safety gear worked. So, we're lucky."
The explosion caused only a small amount of fire that the sprinkler system drenched before the fire department arrived. The explosion and the damage was caused by pressure built up in the system meant to utilize gas, not liquid.
When firefighters arrived they shut off the propane and the sprinklers.
The four guests were also moved to another motel.
The exact cause of the problem is still under investigation by an inspector from the Government of the Northwest Territories gas branch.
The Super 8 is expected to be open again this morning (Dec. 20), according to Hurley.
