Yellowknife explosion: RCMP say evidence points to propane huffing

Police in Yellowknife say their initial investigation into an explosion early on Canada Day suggests someone was huffing propane.

The explosion happened on 54 Street, a downtown residential street, just after 2am on Tuesday. The blast woke residents across the city, dozens of whom gathered at the scene.

“Officers attended the location to find a person laying on the ground near the remains of a boat, which had been destroyed by the blast,” police stated in a Wednesday news release.

Police said first aid was provided until paramedics arrived. The victim was medevaced south for treatment and was last known to be in a critical condition, police stated. (In a separate statement issued after this article was first published, the City of Yellowknife said the individual had been taken to hospital with “minor, non-life-threatening injuries.” A spokesperson noted RCMP had provided a different characterization of that person’s condition.)

Debris from the boat could be seen across 54 Street. A set of garages suffered structural damage. Wreckage was even visible dangling from nearby trees, while nearby windows were shattered.

“Initial investigation has indicated that the person had been ‘huffing’ propane from inside the parked boat when the explosion happened,” police stated.

Huffing propane means inhaling it. While inhalant abuse is often a means of getting high, it’s also dangerous and – aside from the potentially lethal consequences of an explosion – can have both short-term and long-term effects on both mental and physical health.

In 2023, RCMP in Yellowknife told the CBC huffing propane had only recently become a concern in the city.

Confirming the city’s detachment was receiving an increased number of reports about people trying to access propane tanks or inhale propane, an RCMP spokesperson at the time told the broadcaster it was “definitely a new issue” and “very concerning for us.”

On Wednesday, a cleanup team was busy picking up reams of debris from the street surface and affected properties.

Joe Patton, a member of that team, told Cabin Radio he and others had spent hours piling up fragments of the wreckage on a trailer – breaking up large pieces first before stacking them, then running rakes across surfaces to pick up smaller pieces.

“We’ve got almost all of it,” he said just before 11am on Wednesday.

While security camera footage of the blast exists and has circulated on social media, a person at the property where the camera is installed requested on Wednesday that Cabin Radio not publish the footage.

The video shows a quiet street in the early hours of the morning before a giant orange burst illuminates the screen, shaking the camera slightly loose from its original position. When the screen clears, a debris-filled scene emerges.

The sound of the explosion was heard by residents more than a kilometre away from its epicentre.

“The RCMP wishes to remind the public of the dangers of using inhalants such as propane or gasoline,” police stated.

“Inhalants are often volatile substances that, in addition to posing internal health risks, can easily cause fires or explosions under the right conditions.

“Members of the public are advised to ensure any propane, gasoline or other such substances are locked up or inaccessible.”

Serra Hamilton contributed reporting.