Two people were injured in a fire at a natural gas plant in Wheatland County that prompted a precautionary evacuation around the industrial site.

Wheatland County Fire Services responded at about 5:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2 to the Canadian Natural Resources (CNRL) facility near Standard, about 88 kilometres east of Calgary.

A man in his 70s was transported by STARS air ambulance to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary in critical condition.

A second person was also injured. Public updates did not provide that person’s condition or say whether hospital treatment was required.

Emergency officials established a three-kilometre evacuation area around the plant while crews worked to contain the fire.

The evacuation was a precautionary measure. No broader public evacuation order was reported.

Wheatland County later said the fire had been brought under control. The municipal update did not identify a continuing risk to surrounding residents.

Fire departments from several communities assisted with the response, along with specialized hazardous-material support.

The incident shows the regional nature of emergency response in rural Alberta, where volunteer and municipal departments may be called across jurisdictional boundaries for major industrial fires.

CNRL reported that regulators had been notified. The company said there was no continuing threat to the public or environment after the fire was controlled.

The cause had not been released by Sunday. It was also not clear whether Alberta Occupational Health and Safety had opened an investigation.

The plant’s operating status and the extent of damage were not included in the public updates.

No later update on the condition of the critically injured man was available at the time this article was prepared.