Canada

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Onlookers watch from a distance as a fire burns at Speedway International, a methanol fuel plant in Winnipeg on Monday, October 1, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Trevor Hagan

Thick, black smoke and flames continued to spew late Monday from a Winnipeg warehouse that holds highly explosive fuel used for car racing.

Dozens of emergency vehicles were expected to spend the night on site at Speedway International, a company that boasts on its website it is "North America's No. 1 source for 99.99 per cent racing methanol."

The first huge fireball of many went up in the air shortly before the supper hour, accompanied by a column of dark smoke.

Throughout the night, more explosions could be heard and smaller fireballs could be seen as the contents of the warehouse ignited.

Employees said the good news is that no one was inside the building at the time and everyone had been accounted for.

However, there were also worries because of train cars sitting nearby that also contain the racing fuel.

"Numerous roadways in the surrounding area have been closed to all traffic," Winnipeg police said in a statement. "As a result of the fire, some evacuations in the immediate area have already occurred."

Police were also warning people who might be tempted to come out and watch the fire to stay home.

"Emergency personnel have noted that some members of the public have made their way toward the scene due to curiosity. These individuals are requested to leave the area immediately."