Massive blaze in Gibbons destroys Saskcan seed plant

EDMONTON – A fire in Gibbons Friday night burned an entire seed grain plant to the ground.

The blaze started at the Saskcan Pulse Trading Facility just after 10 p.m.

Fire crews from Gibbons, Bon Accord, Morinville and Red Water were called in to fight the flames, but firefighters say the plant was engulfed by fire in minutes.

“When we arrived on scene and looked at it, we were going defensive right away. That means we aren’t entering the structure and trying to put it out because it was too fully involved for us to try to put it out and save it,” said Gibbons Fire Chief Eric Lowe.

The facility, located about 35 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, reportedly cleaned lentils and peas. Lowe says the fire was extremely difficult to fight.

“It’s all tin – all these little nooks and crannies and hidey-holes, so to speak. And we’re trying to get in there and get water into them,” he said Friday night. “There’s a lot of dry wood. A lot of the older structure of it was made with 2x6s.”

Six houses in the area were evacuated as a precaution – but residents were back in their homes once fire crews had the blaze under control.

No injuries were reported.

Fire crews expected to remain on scene until at least noon Saturday.