'Heroes' lauded for helping 5 workers injured in explosion at Red Deer bus depot

When an explosion rattled downtown Red Deer on Thursday afternoon, injuring five workers at a bus depot, some of the city's most vulnerable residents were the first on the scene.

Perry Goddard, executive director at Safe Harbour Society, said eight men and women who rely on the society's emergency shelter rushed in to help within seconds of the blast. 

Goddard said his clients and staff were instrumental in rescuing the workers who were caught in the explosion and the fire that followed. 

"These are really the heroes of our community," he said. "They were pulling out men from the building who were physically on fire." 

RCMP and workplace safety officials continue to investigate the explosion and the subsequent fire that broke out around 3:20 p.m. inside the Prairie Bus Lines terminal building at 53rd Avenue and 54th Street.

Five people were taken from the scene to hospital, two in critical condition, two others in serious but stable condition. A fifth person taken to hospital has since been released.

Safe Harbour Society operates an emergency shelter steps away from the bus terminal. Goddard said the explosion was so violent, his workers thought that a vehicle had struck their building.

By the time society staff stepped outside to see the bus terminal building in flames, a handful of clients had already made their way across the street, Goddard said. 

"It was a very large explosion within the bus terminal," he said. "The staff looked out the window and the first thing they saw was eight of our guests, individuals who use the shelter, running to help." 

He said one of the men providing help at the scene was living under a tarp on the side of the street. He used the sheet of plastic to provide warmth to the injured. Others used their own blankets to keep the workers warm.

Another man rushed into the burning building, Goddard said. 

"He started pulling out individuals who were in there," Goddard said in an interview with CBC News Friday.

"We've learned since, that prior to him experiencing homelessness, he was a firefighter."

Goddard said medical staff from Safe Harbour and workers from the nearby Recovery Alberta facility soon rushed to the scene to assist the injured until paramedics arrived.

Goddard said many of his workers and clients remain traumatized from the events of the fire.

He said he felt grateful to his staff and those they serve working together to help people in need. He said he is hopeful that the injured workers recover and that the tragedy will cast people experiencing homelessness in Red Deer in a different light. 

"They [were] putting their lives at risk because they're supporting these individuals outside of the building," he said.  "There's been a huge explosion. None of them knew there was going to be another, bigger explosion."

"These are individuals who are heavily stigmatized within the community, but they need to be acknowledged for their bravery."

Alberta Health Services says two people were taken from the scene critical condition, two others were in serious but stable condition and one other patient was considered stable.  

In an interview Friday, Cole Starling, assistant deputy chief at City of Red Deer Emergency Services, said the most critical patients were airlifted out of Red Deer overnight. 

Cause under investigation

Starling said it appears the explosion originated from a maintenance garage inside the building. He said it's unclear what work was being done at the time of the explosion.

He said the fire response concluded around midnight. He said efforts to calm the flames were made more challenging due to the explosion. 

Concerns over structural damage caused to the building meant crews did much of their work from the exterior of the building, he said.

He said the investigation into the cause of the fire continues. An engineer will enter the property Friday to gather evidence. 

A news release from the City of Red Deer said no other buildings were impacted by the explosion, however nearby residents and businesses experienced a brief power outage to allow firefighters to put out the fire. 

RCMP and Occupational Health and Safety officials are investigating.

During an interview Friday, RCMP Const. Cory Riggs told reporters that the fire is not believed to be criminal in nature. 

He said the workers, who suffered burn injuries, were all working in the building when the fire broke out.

He thanked those who rushed to help the employees until first responders arrived.

"Anytime the public helps like that, that's a huge, huge thank-you that goes out to them." 

Prairie Bus Lines provides student, charter and employee transportation in central Alberta. A company spokesperson said it is co-operating with local authorities.

"We defer any inquiries regarding the situation to the agencies conducting the investigation," the spokesperson said.