An electrical fire in a barn caused a loud explosion on Sunday afternoon in Abbotsford.
Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service was called to 1455 McDermott Rd. at about 4:20 p.m.
Assistant Fire Chief Dave Rivett said the owner had seen visible smoke in an electrical room attached to a milking parlour, and had gone to investigate. There was a loud explosion and one of the electrical meters was blown across the room.
“The owner was in close proximity to the electrical panels and was extremely fortunate to have escaped injury. He could easily have been electrocuted, severely burned or injured by flying debris,” Rivett said.
There was minimal damage to the structure and AFRS crews were able to quickly get the situation under control.
The incident is under investigation by AFRS investigators and the B.C. Safety Authority. The exact cause of the explosion is unknown at this time.
Three AFRS units and a total of nine firefighters responded to the alarm. BC Hydro was also on the scene.
