Downsview Sunrise Propane Explosion

[urbanfan89]

The death toll would have been in the hundreds if this happened 36 hours later.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

imagine if those schools were filled with students. the windows were shattered from both sides.

 

[afransen]

That bus shelter pic is truly scary, considering that it must be several hundred feet from the actual fire. If anyone had been in that shelter, I wouldn't have bet on their survival.

Truly amazing that no one died in the actual explosion.

 

[screenplaying]

imagine if those schools were filled with students. the windows were shattered from both sides.

In hindsight, I'm wondering how bright it was for all of us who decided to hang out around between Madonna and Downsview High schools to watch the 'fireworks' last night. The mushroom clouds were amazing to see and feel from Keele/Sheppard (the angle through Downsview Park was perfect) so naturally we still had to go for a closer look. Now that I see the actual damage, I can say that those party-pooping cops were probably right with their get the hell out of the area attitude.

Seing that bus stop picture gave me shivers.

 

[Cast_Member]

There is still one Sunrise employee went missing though and a witness said that worker was last seen moving towards the explosion. Sounds little weird to me but it is possible he maybe looking for his co-worker who is still alive.

www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=714522

 

[Observer Walt]

A report on the radio this morning says that about 50 houses will be uninhabitable.

 

[robbiedigital]

The obvious question/criticism will now be, "why in God's name was this facility allowed to be so close to residential areas?".

At the same time, I can't help feel that we as Torontonians are blowing this (pun intended) a little bit out of proportion.

I mean, was it really necessary to close the 401, Yorkdale, etc.?

Call me a cynic, but I have a feeling that we had these emergency response procedures/crews on stand by since Sept 15, 2001, and this is the first real thing they've ever had to deal with. Was their response not a little disproportional in the grand scheme of things?

I was starting to get a little fed up with the news coverage and their use of terms like "overwhelming damage" and "a war zone", which is a segue into my next point that these types of things happen, I'm sure, quite often in other parts of the world. I mean, this is like a normal or perhaps even quiet night in Baghdad!

Anyway...it is truly amazing there weren't more casualties. Good job to the authorities nonetheless.

 

[Edward Skira]

I had a hard time trying to figure out why the 401 was closed as far as the DVP

 

[Jarrek]

I had a hard time trying to figure out why the 401 was closed as far as the DVP

Because if you closed it anywhere else the interchanges at that point wouldn't have enough capacity to handle the traffic.

That's why it was closed between the 400 and the DVP.

 

[Jayomatic]

I did too. I can see why they might have wanted to direct people to use the DVP/Gardiner to loop traffic around the city, but they should have allowed local access to at least Yonge Street.

 

[ShonTron]

I did too. I can see why they might have wanted to direct people to use the DVP/Gardiner to loop traffic around the city, but they should have allowed local access to at least Yonge Street.

Yeah. The compass signs could read, say westbound leading towards the DVP could have read:

EXPRESS CLOSED AT 404/DVP.
LOCAL TRAFFIC MUST TRANSFER 1KM
COLLECTORS CLOSED AT AVENUE ROAD

 

[Long Island Mike]

Downsview propane explosion...

Everyone: I saw a CNN report about this propane tank explosion-it is bad enough one firefighter lost his life fighting this fire but as mentioned it could have been so much worse. Hopefully TFD finds out the source of the explosion. LI MIKE

 

[Edward Skira]

Because if you closed it anywhere else the interchanges at that point wouldn't have enough capacity to handle the traffic.

That's why it was closed between the 400 and the DVP.

And that's why Sheppard, Finch, and Steeles were all crawling between Victoria Park and Bathurst (the area I drove in). It should have stayed open to at least Yonge Street.

 

[Dichotomy]

The obvious question/criticism will now be, "why in God's name was this facility allowed to be so close to residential areas?".

What was there first, though - the houses or the facility? It is near Downsview airport. There were a lot of commercia/industrial uses there long before the housing was put in.

At the same time, I can't help feel that we as Torontonians are blowing this (pun intended) a little bit out of proportion.
The media will beat this to death for the next few days.

I mean, was it really necessary to close the 401, Yorkdale, etc.?

Ah, the provisions of the nanny state. I watched as 11 emergency personnel attended one person having an apparent stroke on the beach, a few years back. Repeatedly, 5,6 or more emergency vehicles are called into St. Jamestown nearly every night to rescue a cat from a tree...

Call me a cynic, but I have a feeling that we had these emergency response procedures/crews on stand by since Sept 15, 2001, and this is the first real thing they've ever had to deal with. Was their response not a little disproportional in the grand scheme of things?

Err on the side of caution, is the mantra of the safety nazis. I felt so much better once Mayor Miller weighed in on CFRB - via conference call!

I was starting to get a little fed up with the news coverage and their use of terms like "overwhelming damage" and "a war zone", which is a segue into my next point that these types of things happen, I'm sure, quite often in other parts of the world. I mean, this is like a normal or perhaps even quiet night in Baghdad!
We are very, very spoiled here
Anyway...it is truly amazing there weren't more casualties. Good job to the authorities nonetheless.

Agreed.

 

[ShonTron]

The use of the word "nazi" is rather overblown, n'est pas?

I am invoking Godwin's Law.