An explosion and series of smaller blasts engulfed a 91原创 trucking business in an inferno that sent workers scurrying from neighbouring businesses on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire sent a massive cloud of dense black smoke into the air where it could be seen miles away.

It was a miracle that no one was killed, said the Township鈥檚 assistant fire chief, Bruce Ferguson.

One man, who was one of five in the Ken Johnson Trucking company鈥檚 shop at 9807 196A St., suffered burns to his back. He had been working on an empty tank trailer.

He was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital. His condition is not known, but sources say that he was able to walk to a ground ambulance where he was assessed by B.C. Ambulance Service paramedics.

The man was one of five people in the shop of Ken Johnson Trucking which hauls fuel, oils and chemicals in tankers.

The explosion was so intense that it blew parts of the tanker on which the injured man had been working over the other side of the Golden Ears Bridge ramp, Ferguson said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 lucky that there weren鈥檛 several fatalities,鈥� he said.

Ferguson estimated that the trucking company property lies approximately 200 metres from the bridge ramp.

The alarm came to 91原创 Fire Department at 2 p.m. as a commercial structure fire with a possible B.L.E.V.E, a Boiling Liquid Evaporating Vapour Explosion.

鈥淚t鈥檚 obvious that the explosion was the cause of the fire, but what caused the explosion is still to be determined,鈥� Ferguson said.

He added that it鈥檚 only speculation that a spark from a welding torch was the cause. The smaller explosions that followed the initial blast were likely caused by bursting acetylene and oxygen tanks inside the shop where the men were working, he said.

Much of the thick smoke came from burning tires.

The explosion and fire caused 鈥渁 lot of fear bordering on panic,鈥� Ferguson said. 鈥淵ou could see it in the bystanders.鈥�

Kelly Lough posted a message on The Times鈥� Facebook page: 鈥淚 was sitting at my desk a few doors from Ken Johnson Trucking. The blast practically knocked me out of my chair.鈥�

Video and aerial shots taken from CTV News Chopper 9 showed a number of vehicles on fire, and a large building engulfed in flames.

Ferguson said that one tractor, three trailers and a small pickup were destroyed. The company office escaped damage. It remained closed on Wednesday while investigators sifted through the debris. Power to the office and several other businesses was cut when transformers blew, but was expected to be restored by Thursday.

The emergency caused heavy congestion on roads in the Port Kells region and northwest 91原创, prompting the closure of the Golden Ears Bridge in both directions, and a section of Telegraph Trail.

The fire drew one of the largest responses from surrounding municipalities.

Surrey and 91原创 City fire departments sent their aerial ladders to augment fire crews from Walnut Grove, Fort 91原创, Willoughby and Murrayville.

Several agencies are investigating. These include Transport Canada, WorkSafe, and Human Resources Development Canada, the federal equivalent to WorkSafeBC.

Damage from the blast and fire is expected to exceed $1 million.