A burst TC Energy pipeline sparked a fire near Edson, Alta.

CALGARY — A natural gas pipeline owned by TC Energy Corp. has ruptured near Edson, Alta. sparked a wildfire Tuesday afternoon.

The Calgary-based pipeline operator said in a statement that the “incident” was reported on the NGTL pipeline system in Yellowhead County, about 40 kilometers northwest of Edson and 55 kilometers northeast of Hinton, at about 11 a.m. Tuesday.

TC Energy Corp. said the affected section of the pipeline was isolated and closed and there were no reports of casualties.

But Charlotte Charbonneau, regional information coordinator for Alberta Forestry and Parks, confirmed the pipeline incident sparked a wildfire in the area — 10 hectares in size by afternoon.

TC Energy declined to comment further and said more information would be provided as it became available.

Charbonneau said the fire does not threaten any communities at this time and said Alberta Wildfire has 12 wildland firefighters and eight pieces of heavy equipment on scene. Air tankers and a helicopter are also available to assist.

“The fire is still classified as out of control, but firefighters are making really good progress,” he said.

“They will continue to work until dark trying to contain the fire and then resume work in the morning.”

Charbonneau said the current state of dry grass in the Edson area means wildfires can ignite and burn quickly. Any spark, hot gas or friction near dry vegetation can start a wildfire, he said.

TC Energy's NGTL pipeline system transports natural gas from Alberta and northeastern BC to domestic and export markets. The system is 24,631 kilometers long and connects with TC Energy's Canadian Trunk System, the Foothills System and other third-party pipelines.

In an online bulletin to its customers Tuesday afternoon, TC Energy said some of its customers were temporarily affected while the affected pipeline segment was isolated, but commercial service has since been restored.

Yellowhead County said in a statement posted on its website that the gas is not leaking from the pipeline and does not pose a risk to the public.

The county said it was determined to be “pipe related,” but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

TC Energy said it will provide more information about Tuesday's outage as it becomes available.

On Tuesday, the company's stock price fell two percent to $48.60 per share.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 16, 2024.

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Amanda Stevenson, The Canadian Press