Smoke from fertilizer facility fire sends 3 people to hospital in Hanna

At least three people in Hanna, Alta. were briefly hospitalized on Thursday after breathing in smoke from what is believed to be a chemical fire.

“We were told it was a sulfur and compost mixture fire,” said Daniel Dauo, whose family owns and operates Jerry’s Burger Baron in Hanna.

Daniel, his brother and dad all inhaled the fumes coming from the fire at the GFL Environmental blending facility, located directly across Highway 9 from the restaurant.

Daniel and his brother were assessed at the Hanna Health Centre and quickly discharged, but their father Jerry, who is 73, had to stay and recover for a number of hours.

“They put me on oxygen, and I think cortisol,” Jerry Dauo said. “They give me a cortisol puffer, they said, ‘If you don’t feel good, you stay here in the hospital.'”

This is the first time chemical smoke has been a problem, according to Jerry — but he added since the blending facility opened a few years ago, there have been other issues.

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“Always, we have (a) bad smell,” Dauo said. “I live here beside my restaurant. Since they opened up this project here, we never sit outside — we always stay inside.”

The smell issues went to town council in 2021.

It’s unknown if any customers from Jerry’s Burger Baron were admitted to hospital.

Global News made several attempts to contact GFL by phone, email, and in person at the blending facility in Hanna, but no one replied to requests for comment.