Timeline: Explosion in downtown Wheatley, Ont.

Windsor, Ont. -

A timeline of events leading up to an explosion that levelled a building in downtown Wheatley, Ont.

June 3 – State of emergency declared after hazmat situation in downtown Wheatley

June 4 – Ontario’s hazmat team called to state of emergency in Wheatley

June 10 – Wheatley remains under a state of emergency

June 17 – Wheatley enters second week under state of emergency

June 18 – Wheatley prepares to re-open following state of emergency

June 19 – Wheatley residents allowed back home after two-week evacuation even though ‘We cannot tell people it's safe’

June 28 – State of Emergency lifted in Wheatley

July 19 – Downtown Wheatley evacuated again after hazardous gas detected

July 20 – Second State of Emergency declared in Wheatley

July 22 – Evacuated Wheatley residents and business owners expected to return to properties today

Aug. 4 – Province launches investigation into Wheatley gas detection

Aug. 26 - Widespread damage after Wheatley, Ont. explosion

Aug. 27 – Community reacts to Wheatley, Ont. explosion

Aug. 27 – Chatham-Kent fire chief confirms another explosion could happen in Wheatley, Ont.

Aug. 27 – Chatham-Kent officials call for action plan from province following explosion

Aug. 28 – Search for Wheatley gas leak continues

Aug. 30 – Help available for Wheatley residents affected by explosion

Aug. 31 – 'Significant movement' made in preparing to find source of Wheatley explosion

Sept. 1 – Wheatley residents create ‘Wheatley Strong’ t-shirts to aid in fundraising efforts

Sept. 1 – No guarantee and no timeline; Wheatley officials update gas explosion investigation and evacuation

Sept. 3 – Windsor law firm planning to file class action suit for those affected by Wheatley explosion

Sept. 4 - Evacuated Wheatley residents won’t be back in homes next week

Sept. 7 - Officials seek cause of Wheatley explosion as debris clean up continues

Sept. 10 - Wheatley fish fry aims to raise funds for evicted residents

Sept. 12 - 'It's what we do': Wheatley residents come out in droves to support explosion rebuild

Sept. 13 - Municipality asks Wheatley residents to 'not spread gossip on social media'

Sept. 14 - Leamington residents living near Wheatley explosion site encouraged to prepare emergency kits

Sept. 15 - 'This is a cautionary tale': Two GTA MPP’s demand action for Wheatley residents

Sept. 20 - Municipality reaches deal with province to move Wheatley explosion investigation forward

Sept. 21 - Premier Doug Ford visits Wheatley explosion area

Sept. 22 - Safety sake cited for Ford’s low-key explosion site visit

Sept. 25 - Province providing up to $2M for Wheatley following devastating explosion

Oct. 1 - Wheatley residents might be evacuated for months after explosion

Oct. 8 - Monitoring equipment detects gas at scene of previous Wheatley explosion

Nov. 1 - Chatham-Kent accepting applications for Wheatley business recovery program following explosion

Nov. 23 - Another gas release detected in evacuation zone of Wheatley explosion

Dec. 12 - Demolition of downtown Wheatley buildings near explosion site almost complete

Dec. 23 - Work in Wheatley, Ont. on pause after second well discovered

Jan. 22 - New Wheatley explosion video released

Feb. 5 - Wheatley residents face longer displacement

Feb. 7 - Wheatley crews to install vapour probes and water monitoring wells

Mar. 10 - Investigation begins into potential fourth well in Wheatley

Mar. 14 - Work to find source of gas leak continues in Wheatley

Mar. 22 - Next step in Wheatley investigation work to begin this week

Mar. 29 - Drilling to begin at evacuation site of Wheatley explosion

Mar. 30 - Relocating Wheatley’s core? A lot riding on what more drilling reveals

April 10 - Evacuation zone in Wheatley, Ont. to be reduced following August 2021 explosion

April 13 - Emotional return home for Wheatley residents

April 26 - Wheatley residents able to return to their properties have some utilities restored

May 2 - Province to provide additional $3.9 million for downtown Wheatley businesses

May 3 - Crews to plug gas well in downtown Wheatley evacuation area

May 10 - Wheatley well remediation to continue until end of June

May 20 - Evacuation zone reduced at Wheatley explosion site

May 24 - Plans underway for further investigation, road reopening in Wheatley

May 28 - Wheatley evacuation zone to be reduced as of Monday

May 31 - Wheatley emergency site reduction complete, new boundaries outlined

June 16 - Emergency response phase of Wheatley explosion to close after 294 days

July 7 - Gas release reported near former Wheatley explosion site

Aug. 2 - Crews in Wheatley resume work on pressure relief well