Victoria homes evacuated after damaged gas line produces 'explosive-level' readings
Several Victoria residents were removed from their homes on Monday morning after a damaged gas line prompted an evacuation north of the Fernwood neighbourhood.
FortisBC says crews were called to the 2500-block of Avebury Avenue around 11:30 a.m. for reports of a damaged gas line.
Victoria Fire acting battalion Chief Todd Harris says he believes plumbers in the area were digging at a home when a gas main was hit and damaged.
"The gas leaking filled two or three houses down the end of the block, and unfortunately we had a very explosive-level reading on our gas meters," he said.
Several blocks in the area were closed to traffic for more than two hours as crews assessed the situation.
Firefighters, police and workers with BC Hydro and FortisBC were at the site.
FortisBC recommended that power be shut down in the neighbourhood, leading to a blackout for about 1,800 BC Hydro customers in the area.
Power was restored to surrounding houses and nearby blocks reopened about two hours later, though houses directly beside the area were still in the dark Monday afternoon.
Around 1:45 p.m., FortisBC said crews were working on repairs to the gas line, and that about 45 service outages occurred because of the damage.
Once repairs are finished, FortisBC will go to each affected house and turn the gas back on.
Harris says the next steps are to ensure that the gas has dissipated from each affected house and that they have all been ventilated.
Some pets were inside the affected homes but appear unharmed, he said.
Harris encourages anyone who smells a gas leak, which resembles the smell of rotten eggs, to call their local fire department and FortisBC immediately.
"Today was a perfect example, somebody called right away," he said.
He's also grateful for the patience of community members while the electricity was cut to make repairs.
"The safety of the few definitely was our main concern and we wanted to protect this area and do everything we could so there wasn't an explosion," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.