Chatham-Kent firefighters are wrapping up their around-the-clock standby emergency response to a gas leak and explosion in downtown Wheatley last summer.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent and Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services both reported on Thursday that the emergency phase of the response to the gas leak and explosion at 15 Erie Street North Wheatley on August 26, 2021, will come to an end at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Municipal officials said advisors have reviewed the systems in place and said the firefighters are no longer needed at the site 24/7. However, they will be on-site when work is taking place to deal with any situations that may arise. Police, security guards, and hazardous materials technicians will remain at the site to keep the scene safe and secure, according to the municipality.
"The incident is not over, this is another cautious step to provide reassurance and response to the community. You will continue to see firefighters in the area and the team at Station #20 Wheatley will remain available as they always are when their pagers go off to get to the station and respond as quickly as they can to protect their community," the municipality wrote in a statement.
Officials noted safety advisors have calculated the risks and reduced the evacuation zone accordingly, with two evacuation zone reductions in the last few months.
"The fact that wells have been capped and equipment remains on scene to manage any releases facilitates these small contributions to normality as the community begins the process of recovery and healing," said the municipality.
Firefighters from Station #20 Wheatley, Station #19 Tilbury and Station #1 Chatham responded to the blast and, over the past 10 months, almost every firefighter in Chatham-Kent has, at one point or another, been on scene around the clock to maintain a presence and ensure the safety of the community alongside engineers, paramedics, and police officers, according to the municipality.
"The aftermath and impact of that event have had a seismic effect on the local and wider community and brought untold disruption to families and businesses in that area," said the municipality. "There have been many updates as to the work taking place to locate the source of the gas that lead to the explosion and the work to plug abandoned wells in the area with firefighters being on the scene with the continued event for the last 294 days."
The Wheatley gas leaks started in June of 2021 and the municipality said Chief Hodgson and his team have been on the front line of dealing with this situation for over a year, while also attending to 93 additional emergencies, such as fighting house fires, responding to accidents and medical calls, and other emergencies to protect their community.
Fire Chief Chris Case thanks all who were involved in this massive endeavour.
"I want to take this moment to recognize the work of everyone who is collaborating and striving to bring stability to the town of Wheatley," said Case. "But I am compelled to recognize and be humbled by the dedication and commitment of all the firefighters, officers, fire dispatchers, and chiefs of Chatham-Kent who have answered the call to be present and ready to deal with threats. As the community continues to recover, they can be reassured and wholly proud of their firefighters."
The fire chief also thanked the numerous case workers, economic development officers and a team of municipal volunteers for their support.
