Fire at gas metering station sparks grass fire that shut Alberta highway

A map that shows the site of grass fire RCMP say was caused by a pipeline explosion on Highway 16 west of Edson, Alta., on July 1, 2024. (Credit: Google)

Yellowhead County in west-central Alberta says a fire that prompted the closure of a major highway west of Edmonton involved a gas metering station.

The county says in a news release that its firefighters responded to a call for assistance for a reported structural fire on Monday near Range Road 185 and Highway 16.

On arrival, the release says it was determined a gas metering station was involved.

There has been no direct damage reported with nearby pipelines, it says, and Alberta Wildfire reported it responded to a small grass fire less than a hectare in size that wasn't threatening any communities.

RCMP said travel in both directions of Highway 16 was closed due to the grass fire, but said in an update later Monday afternoon that eastbound lanes had reopened.

A spokesperson with the Alberta Energy Regulator responded he was looking into the incident.

The county said in its release that it's on-scene and working with FortisAlberta, TransMountain Pipeline, Atco Gas, AltaLink, Alberta Forestry and the RCMP.

Spokesman Stefan Felsing said there's a great deal of energy infrastructure in the area and that he didn't know whose metering station was involved in the fire.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2024.