Investigators working to find the cause of last month's propane explosion

Investigators seek cause of propane explosion Investigators are proceeding with the next steps in determining the cause of last month's explosion.

Barrie — Investigators are proceeding with the next steps in determining the cause of last month's massive propane explosion in Barrie's south end.

On July 30th, crews were called to the area of Lockhart Road, south of Mapleview Drive, and found flames as black smoke filled the air above Superior Propane on Bayview Drive.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within a few hours and spent the weekend removing any remaining propane from the area.

"It was not a fire that we respond to every day, but it was something that the crews attended to in their professional manner and the way that they approached it and attacked it," said Barrie deputy fire chief, Carrie Clark.

According to Clark, as of Wednesday, several hundred propane tanks at Superior Propane have been emptied with help from members of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority and the Ontario Fire Marshalls office.

The next step is now focused on identifying the tanks and determining the origin of the blast.

"The operational piece of the investigation will involve getting those serial numbers weighed," said Clark, "They have three or four hypotheses on how it may have started, so they will need to go and test that hypothesis."

Clark says that once each tank has been analyzed, the final step will involve determining the blast's origin and ultimately a cause.