No injuries reported in 'small explosion' at Université de Moncton
Firefighters and police in New Brunswick responded to an explosion at a lab on the campus of the Université de Moncton Saturday morning.
Platoon Chief Keith Guptill of the Moncton Fire Department said the call came in shortly after 11 a.m.
The call from the 911 dispatch centre was originally for a fire inside a science lab, but Guptill said they received an update while in transit that it was a small explosion.
"So of course, that makes us have a heightened sense of responsibility," said Guptill. "Fire is one thing, explosion is another all together, so safety for our crew as well as the individuals that might have been on scene."
Two people were inside the building at the time of the incident, but they exited the building safely.
There were no injuries reported in the blast.
Guptill said a small fire was put out very quickly.
While the incident turned out to be minor, firefighters were not aware of that when they were responding.
"There was a number of members of the RCMP showing up here as well," said Guptill. "When you hear ‘explosion’ in any city, that's a big deal. So they all responded. We all expected to see something very sensational when we arrived here and that wasn't the case and we're happy about that obviously."
As a result of Saturday's incident, a fire prevention team will come to the university to talk to staff to find out more about what their safety protocols.
"Where the place their chemicals, what each of these machines do, so that the fire department members as we respond on scene have more accurate knowledge of what we're dealing with when we get here," he said.
Fire investigators are trying to determine if there was a malfunction with equipment inside the lab or if the fire was electrical in nature.
There was no damage inside the building.
CTV News has reached out to the Université de Moncton for comment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.