The Seconds Before the Blast: Randolph Pattemore's Race Against Time
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
In the wake of a north Edmonton apartment explosion, one resident's attempt to warn his neighbors highlights the fragile gap between survival and catastrophe.
For Randolph Pattemore, the horror of Monday night began not with a blast, but with a smell.
As CBC News first reported, Pattemore witnessed a vehicle collide with the gas line of the three-storey apartment building he called home at 132nd Avenue and 82nd Street in north Edmonton. Recognizing the danger of the strong gas scent, Pattemore did not hesitate. He raced back upstairs to alert his roommate, Matty Poburan, and another friend, urging them to evacuate immediately.
After alerting his roommate and friend, Pattemore went to the living room and dialed 911 to report the leak and express his fear of an imminent explosion. He was still on the phone with the emergency operator when the disaster struck.
"I saw the window go out and then all of a sudden it was like a freight train just came flying right back in," Pattemore told CBC News.
Seconds later, the building erupted. Matty Poburan described the moment of impact as total chaos, stating that he and his friend were making their way to the door when the blast threw them three feet into the air amidst flying glass. As Poburan evacuated, he recalled the devastation of the stairwell, where plywood had been blown off the walls to reveal bare beams.
While Pattemore and Poburan escaped with minor injuries, the cost of the explosion was severe. CBC News reports that two golden labradoodles, which Poburan was watching for his mother, died in the fire; Pattemore recalled seeing the dogs jump toward a window in an apparent attempt to escape.
Beyond the immediate loss of pets and possessions—Pattemore noted he lost everything, including his identification—the human toll was heavier. Edmonton police confirmed to CBC News that an 85-year-old man died after jumping from a third-floor balcony to escape the blaze. Six people were hospitalized, and as of Wednesday morning, two residents remained unaccounted for.
In the aftermath, Pattemore found himself struggling to breathe while still on the line with 911. He recalled the operator telling him to simply walk away and catch his breath. From that distance, he watched the building burn and the dogs perish.
The cause of the disaster was a silver vehicle that collided with the building's gas line, according to Edmonton police. The 62-year-old driver of that vehicle was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Due to the scale of the event, Edmonton Police Service Chief Warren Driechel announced that the city's mass casualty investigative protocol has been launched, placing the investigation in the hands of the homicide unit. Driechel noted that the instability of the structure would likely prevent investigators from entering the building for over 48 hours.
Poburan told CBC News that navigating the aftermath has been confusing, noting the lack of a clear guide or "pamphlet" on how to proceed after one's home has exploded.