On March 20, 1958, at approximately 4 o'clock in the afternoon, an explosion demolished building Number 20, the receipts and issues building, located near the entrance to the depot's explosive storage area, killing six civilian employees and one airman. This was one of the worst peacetime munitions explosions in Canada. The resulting fire was fought by the Depot fire brigade, along with firefighters from the Army Fire Service in Camp Borden. Along with fighting the fire, which is dangerous under normal circumstances, the fire brigade had to deal with munitions exploding, including a bullet that struck a nearby ambulance.
In August 2005, 47 years after the tragedy, a ceremony was held at the Angus Cenotaph to dedicate a memorial stone plaque to the victims the RCAF 13 "X” Depot explosion.
