Two workers suffer minor injuries in fire at Regina’s Co-op Refinery Complex

Two workers at Regina’s Co-op Refinery Complex are being assessed for minor injuries after a fire broke out early on Tuesday morning.

According to a statement from Federated Co-operatives Limited, the fire broke out at approximately 4:45 a.m.

“At this time, we can report that all personnel are accounted for with two employees being assessed for minor injuries,” the company said in a statement.

“The incident has been contained and the impacted area has been stabilized.”

Isaac Cicansky, who lives on Froom Crescent, told 980 CJME he heard “a loud boom,” which made the pictures on his wall rattle.

Scott Sahulka, who lives in Gardiner Park, said he heard and felt an explosion early on Tuesday morning.

“It made our house shake a little bit,” he said.

One texter to 980 CJME said they felt the explosion 12 kilometres away in Pilot Butte.

Glenn Wagner, assistant chief with Regina Fire & Protective Services, said firefighters on the scene were “cooling an area and isolating a couple of gas lines” early on Tuesday morning.

It looks like police are gone now from the roads. I'm near one of the refinery entrances, watching the water tankers do their work pic.twitter.com/tCz0402bvy

— Lisa Schick (@LMSchickler) March 25, 2025

Wagner said there was “some type of ignition,” but couldn’t say what caused the fire to break out.

He said it sounds like the fire started at a supply line.

In an update shared to social media, the fire department said its firefighters standing by to help as needed.

Crews got called to the co-op refinery at 4.49AM this morning. The co-op refinery fire crews have the situation under control and Regina Fire is in a standby mode to assist if need. No injuries reported or structures involved. #RFD #RFPS pic.twitter.com/ZjFINC4WWs

— Regina Fire (@Regina_Fire) March 25, 2025

One police officer at the scene described the incident as a fire, while another said it was an explosion.

Residents of northeast Regina felt windows rattling, houses shaking

Bev Ollinger said she woke up with a start to a thunderous blast that left her windows shaking on Tuesday morning.

“I actually thought the house was falling down,” she said. “That’s how loud it was.”

Multiple residents on Eighth Avenue North said they woke up before their alarm clocks due to the noise.
Living so close to Ring Road, Ollinger said she hears the occasional accident on the busy route, but nothing as loud as the blast she heard around 4:45 a.m.

Nikita Garner said the way her home shook was similar to earthquakes she experienced when she lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“My heart was racing and the dogs got all bothered, but then after that, it was just silent,” she said. “We could hear the train horns. We could hear police sirens.”

Both women said they were left with an uneasy feeling, suspecting the noise may have come from the refinery.

Living close enough that she can see the refinery from the end of her street, Ollinger said the thought of a larger explosion does sit in the back of her mind.

“It is alarming, because you never know when it’s going to be a really big one,” she said. “God only knows, maybe the neighbourhood will go up in flames.”

–with files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie