'Significant progress' at natural gas fire near Prud'homme

Emergency crews working on a gas fire at a TransGas pumping station near Prud'hommemade 'significant progress' overnight.

"We've been able to make significant progress at Prud'homme," said Dave Burdeniuk, aSaskEnergyspokesperson, in an interview with CBC this morning.

"(We) turned off a side valve on the well head and almost instantly the flame went from a very intense, almost 60 foot(18 metres) flame down to about 12 feet(four metres)."

Burdeniuk said the next step is to extinguish secondary fires and secure the well head. The evacuation order keeping 13 people out of four homes is still in effect, he said.

On Mondayspecialized firefighters, employed bySafety Boss, suited up in specialized gearand approached the fire with the intention of turning off the natural gas valves.

• 'Just a big ball of fire,' evacuee describesPrud'Hommeexplosion
• VIDEO:TransGaspumping station explodes, burns near Prud'Homme

But once the crewsgot close to the blaze they had reservations about their plan and firefightersretreated toconsultwith the engineers at the command centre.

Burdeniuksaid ittakes along time to preparefor the task as severalwater cannons and trucks need to be refilled in order to protect the crews as they walk into thewall of fire that is burning between815 C and1100 C.

For the time being they have an ample water supply to draw from;a farmer's unwanted slough nearby.

"It's a little unnerving to see that fire burning," Burdeniuk said on Monday afternoon.

Emergency officials are asking peopleto stay away from the fire and for residents from four evacuated farmsclose to the burningnatural gas storage facility to remain away from their homes.