5 rushed to hospital after fire at oil drilling site north of Cochrane

Five people are in hospital after an explosion at an oil site north of Cochrane, Alta., starting a fire that sent plumes of dark smoke into the sky.

Cpl.Gina Slaneyof theAlberta RCMPsaid the Cochranedetachment and emergency services responded to calls of a workplace explosion off of Range Road 40 north of Big Hill Springs Road in Rocky View County, at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Monday.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers determined that a five man crew had been conducting drilling operations on a lease site when the explosion happened.

Slaney said all five crew members sustained burn injuries, and that two people are suffering from serious injuries. They have all been transferred to a medical centre in Calgary.

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety will be taking over the investigation.

The fire is expected to burn for several days, said Slaney, and a specialized oil field fire crew has been dispatched from Lacombe, Alta., to handle the fallout.

Chris Ratzlaff, who lives in Airdrie, was driving west on Big Hill Springs Road on Mondayat around 2:30 p.m. when he said he noticed a large black cloud of smoke to the west and pulled off to the side of the road to take a photo.

"The flames were going quite high," said Ratzlaff.

"You could see basically like a jet of flame coming up."

HWN Energy Ltd. confirmed in an email that a "well control incident" occurred approximately eight kilometres north of Cochrane, and that the five who were injured were contractors.

"We understand the concerns of the local community, and we want to assure the public that we are taking every possible measure to manage this incident effectively," the company's email late Monday stated.

"At this time, there is no immediate threat to nearby residents, and air quality monitoring is being conducted as a precaution."

The statement said the company evacuated non-essential personnel from the immediate area and established an exclusion zone around the site.

The exact cause of the incident wasn't yet known, the statement said, adding that emergency services, officials and emergency response teams were immediately activated.

It said the company has mobilized experts and specialized equipment to restore control of the well, while also protecting the public and environment.

An Alberta Energy Regulator spokesman said the incident happened at a sweet gas well.

The AER said in a statement it is monitoring HWN Energy's response to a release of sweet gas and a fire at the site.

"We will maintain a presence on-site and continue ongoing communication with HWN to ensure that public safety and environmental protection are upheld, and that all regulatory requirements are met," the regulator's statement said.

The AER statement further said that emergency response teams and local authorities, including Occupational Health and Safety, are present at the site.