Enbridge shuts in BC pipelines after blast

No injuries reported but explosion and fire prompts evacuations
Canadian midstream giant Enbridge said it had taken offline two natural gas transmission pipelines in British Columbia following an explosion and fire on one of the lines on Tuesday.
The fire has been extinguished and no injuries have been reported, Enbridge said Wednesday. However, the explosion resulted in the evacuation of about 100 members of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation as a precaution following the incident. The company said it has provided accommodations for evacuees and is assisting them in the return to their communities "where appropriate" .
As of mid-day Wednesday, an evacuation zone was being maintained one kilometre from the blast site.
The blast occurred on a 36-inch transmission line at about 5:30 p.m. local time near the city of Prince George. The city activated its Emergency Operations Centre and was prepared to deliver emergency support services along with the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, according to the municipal website.
Prince George Fire Rescue Services and the Prince George detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were among the first repsonders to the scene of the fire "just outside of city limits," according to the website.
The system carries sweet natural gas to the Pacific Northwest region. The pipeline was isolated and an adjacent line was depressurised as a precaution, Enbridge said.
"We recognise the impact this will have on customers in those regions including those in the lower mainland of BC," Enbridge said. "We’re working diligently to try to resolve the situation in a manner that minimizes the disruption of gas supply to customers."
The company said it had teams on the ground in the area and had mobilised additional response crews.
"At this time we cannot speculate about how long it will take to resolve the situation. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue to work safely and in a manner that minimises the interruption of gas supply to communities," the company said.
Enbridge said it was working with regulators to investigate the blast.