The 44-page incident report, obtained through the city’s Freedom of Information Act, includes minute-by-minute dispatch notes detailing not only how firefighters toiled for hours in frigid conditions to control the flying fire, but also their commanders’ concerns about secondary explosions, collapsing walls and a stream of uncontrolled fuel spilling from the industrial property onto nearby railway lines. The incident report also reveals the size and scope of the response to what would quickly become a rare five-alarm call. It lists all 134 firefighters and their rigs — 20 pump stations, four ladder trucks, four tower trucks and several other pieces of heavy equipment — so many that commanders have had to use resources to ensure the rest of the city is adequately covered in the event of another emergency. Entries relating to the dead and injured have been redacted from the documents in accordance with legislation protecting individual privacy. Eastway employees Rick Bastien, Danny Beale, Kayla Ferguson, Matt Kearney, Etienne Mabiala and Russell McLellan died as a result of the disaster. Clockwise from top left, victims Matt Kearney, Etienne Mabiala, Danny Beale, Rick Bastien, Russell McLellan and Kayla Ferguson. (Photos submitted)
First calls to 911
According to dispatch notes, the first calls to 911 began just before 1:30 p.m. (Notes provide brief summaries of communications, not verbatim transcripts.) “Lots of black smoke, flames 50-60 [feet].” “Black smoke shooting from the roof.” “Eastway Trucking Company.” “The building could collapse from another 911 caller.” “The caller reported that the fire had spread throughout the roof.” “All stations notified.” The first casualty report, which has been redacted, comes seconds later. Several more reports, apparently from 911 callers at the scene, follow in quick succession. At 1:36 p.m., Ottawa police are said to be setting up a perimeter around the burning building. A rare fifth alarm went off just over an hour after the initial explosion, calling firefighters from across Ottawa. (David McEvoy/Bytown Fire Brigade) About a minute later the first fire crew, Pumper 25, arrives and approaches the north side of the burning building from an adjacent Petro Canada yard. The nearest of the many large fuel storage tanks on the Petro Canada property is only 50 meters away. “Structure fully [involved] right now,” the sender states seconds later. Enbridge and Hydro Ottawa are notified to shut down utilities and Pumper 25 calls paramedics to the Eastway entrance, possibly to treat victims.
Mission papers offer a look inside the Eastway Tank explosion
Dispatches from emergency services on the day of the Eastway Tank explosion in January show the dangers and challenges firefighters faced trying to put out the flames.
“Multiple Hazards”
As of 1:41 p.m., Pumper 25 has a hose, but the crew is requesting assistance to run a high-volume line to a hydrant on Merivale Road. As more trucks arrive, a second alarm is called, calling more crews to the scene. At 1:43 p.m., Pumper 24 reports: “Roof giving way — walls coming down soon.” Pumper 24, from a nearby station that serves as one of Ottawa’s two hazmat bases, issues a warning about hazardous fuels and chemicals inside the burning building: “Lots of hydrocarbons in there.” In his internal observations filed eight days later, incident safety officer Kip Muller noted “multiple hazards” at the scene, including a possible wall collapse, a propane heater on the south side of the building, a tanker truck left running alongside the building and two yet. tankers “potentially carrying flammable liquids or hazardous materials” parked inside service bays at the east end of the building. Seconds after the hydrocarbon warning, dispatch reports: “Strict defensive fire. No crews aboard.” A ladder truck directs a stream of water towards the flames on January 13. The fire will not be under control until nearly 6 p.m. (Submitted by Murray Spencer)
Crews battled to contain the flames
At 1:46 p.m., Pumper 34 is designated as the rapid response team to rescue injured or trapped firefighters, while Pumper 37 is tasked with “accountability” — keeping track of which crews are doing what so no one gets lost . Two minutes later, Pumper 23 confirms that the two-story store where the initial explosion is believed to have occurred is fully involved, but the crew is “trying to prevent it from reaching the 3rd section of the building,” which contains the four service bays. This diagram of the Eastway facility shows that the explosion appears to have taken place in the production area on the left, while the service area on the right remains standing. (CBC) This drone footage shows the entrances where the trucks entered the production area and paint shop. (CBC) At 1:52 p.m., a third alarm is called, calling in two more pumpers, another ladder truck and a district chief. A minute later, dispatch reports that crews are having difficulty reaching the south side of the building due to a pipe blocking access. At 1:55 p.m. a prefect on the scene reports that there are “2-3 oil tankers inside the building”. Two minutes later, it is reported that Insp. Jimmy Fata, a department head, is on his way to the scene. As the ladder trucks arrive and begin to set up, a district chief orders crews to direct their streams through billowing smoke toward the center of the burning building. These instructions continue throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Water pressure was also a concern as crews struggled to maintain the flow needed to extinguish the flames. At 2:07 p.m., dispatch advises the city has been contacted to find out “who will respond from the water department.” At the same time, a “unified administrative unit” that includes Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa police and paramedics is being set up in the parking lot of a commercial building on Merivale Street.
He fears the collapse of the wall
By 2:12 p.m., fearing an imminent wall collapse, the safety officer on scene orders an exclusion zone to be established on the south side of the building to prevent possible injury to firefighters. At 2:14 p.m., dispatch is notifying crews that a foam fire truck is available from Ottawa International Airport if needed. (Foam can be used to suppress “Class B” fires, which involve flammable liquids. The Ottawa Fire Department’s foam unit arrived at the scene at 2:08, according to the incident report.) Seconds after the fourth alarm went off at 2:41 p.m., loud booms are heard from inside the burning building. “Two tires burst from the rig inside,” the dispatch said. This drone footage released by Ottawa police shows the scale of the devastation. (Ottawa Police Service) At 2:48 p.m., a rare fifth alarm is called. Three minutes later, a cinder block wall on the south side of the building collapses onto the first floor roof. A few minutes later, a district chief suggests a “shovel” or backhoe “might be useful … to redirect the fire,” and the city is contacted to ask how long it will take. At 3:17 p.m., Pumper 31 reports: “Full flames in new building — getting dangerous.” It is not clear which part of the Eastway building this refers to. Two minutes later, Pumper 12 reports a fuel fire on the south side of the building and calls for crews to evacuate. At that time, Via Rail is asking if the tracks adjacent to the south side of the property are “infringed.” A minute later, comes the order from the command to “close the VIA tracks.”
Fuel leakage is a new threat
As crews begin to attack the flying fire with foam, a new danger emerges: spilled fuel is seen “rolling across the parking lot — moving from east to west.” A crew reports “200 [metres] of fuel on top of the railway lines — migrating both ways’. That would become a serious concern as the afternoon wore on, as contaminated liquid transformed the unpaved parking lot into a quagmire. “I get up to my knees in water,” reports Pumper 24. “The yard doesn’t drain well.” The city was obviously worried too. “The City would like to know if fuel is entering the fishing basin,” the dispatch advised at 3:29 p.m., possibly referring to the ditch that separates the Eastway property from the railroad tracks. At 3:36 p.m. rescuers search for an injured firefighter, but are called back. Details of this incident have been redacted. There were no serious injuries among the firefighters who responded to the Eastway explosion. A few minutes later, the crews ask who is coming to drain the yard. It’s also the first report of any potential threat to a nearby residential area: “High priority now… Pour to a neighborhood in wells.” Dispatch is told to call the city’s road department for hay bales “to plug the fuel spill along the tracks.” Chris Lawson with the Office of the Fire Marshal speaks to reporters Jan. 14. (Francis Ferland/CBC)
Persistent hot spots
At 3:49 p.m., crews that have entered the mostly intact service area are told to withdraw due to an imminent roof collapse, but advise they are “still experiencing hot spots.” Twelve minutes later they retreat to get a “drill nozzle”, allowing them to punch a hole in the wall and fight the flames out of the building. For the next half hour, crews continue to extinguish hot spots as directed by the “eye in the sky” on the bucket of a tower truck. At 4:24 p.m., dispatch reports that a hazardous materials vehicle from Station 24 is en route. Around the same time, crews begin a careful search of the perimeter of the building. The four service bays at the east end of the building can be seen in this photo. (Alexander Behne/CBC) Pump 12 opens the east door of the paint shop and checks the service bays. “P12 confirms all from 3 seats.” A few minutes later, this section of the…
