Update: Downtown building evacuated due to high CO levels; one person treated

Nov 15, 2019 | 4:13 PM

Occupants of a downtown Vernon building had to be evacuated this afternoon.

It was in the National Bank Financial building on 30th Avenue, with reports that it was due to high carbon monoxide levels inside.

About 15 people were standing outside the building, and a couple of people were said to be feeling symptoms.

There is also a barber shop and optometrist office in that building.

“B.C. Ambulance received a call from the fire department alerting us of a possible carbon monoxide leak at 2:44 p.m. in the 3100 block of 30^th Avenue today. One patient was transported in stable condition to hospital with carbon monoxide symptoms,” Shannon Miller from Emergency Health Services said.

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Fortis was called to the scene to deal with it.

The City of Vernon says upon arrival, Fire Rescue did detect high readings of CO inside the building.

“The three storey building was evacuated and one person was transported to hospital as a precaution for CO exposure. Fortis attended the scene and found the cause to be from malfunctioning rooftop HVAC units. A heating/cooling repair company also attended to work on the units,” said Christy Poirier, communications manager with the city. “VFRS ventilated the building and cleared the first and second floors to be re-occupied. By the time people were able to return to the building, most people had already gone home. When VFRS cleared the scene at 4:15 p.m., Fortis and the heating/cooling company were still working on site.”

Fire Rescue is using the incident to remind people about the importance of having CO detectors in your home and office buildings.

“If you have a multi storey building, there should be a CO detector on every storey,” said the city.

Fire Rescue was also called to the Vernon courthouse earlier Friday on reports of a strong smell of propane.

Fire Rescue responds to smell of propane at Vernon courthouse Friday (Tiffany Goodwein/Vernon Matters Staff)

“VFRS was called to the courthouse area regarding a possible propane smell, but when firefighters arrived they said it wasn’t actually at the courthouse and the smell turned out to be a sewer smell. The incident was not carbon monoxide related,” said Christy Poirier, manager of communications and grants with the City of Vernon.

by Pete McIntyre

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