An apartment building in West Kelowna was evacuated early Sunday morning (April 18) due to a strange odour.
Around 4 a.m., West Kelowna Fire Rescue was called to 3623 Elliot Road, and when crews arrived on the scene, they immediately evacuated 150 residents and their pets.
“I was just sleeping in my bedroom, and there were just a lot of fire alarms going off,” said Joel Landa, a resident of the building. “Once we got outside, police and fire crews came; everyone was very confused and didn’t realize what was going on.”
Right away, the regional hazardous materials team from the Kelowna Fire Department was called in.
“I didn’t smell anything when I was in the building, but when I came out, I did smell an odour coming from the building. It smelled like gas,” Landa said.
The Emergency Support Services Team (ESS) is housing residents of the building at Royal LePage Place arena.
West Kelowna Fire Rescue and HazMat crews continue to search for the odour’s source. The building remains evacuated as of 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“The building was swept and visually inspected all suites on the affected floors. Nothing was found. While some indications were received, none were strong or persistent enough to identify the exact nature or cause,” said West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund.
Another update is expected by 3 p.m. Plans are in place to provide the residents a place to sleep if the building remains evacuated overnight.
Although there is an emergency plan in place, Landa said he’s nervous.
“Honestly, with this whole pandemic, I’m not feeling too good about it,” he said. Landa is a healthcare worker and works with children who have special needs, many of whom have compromised immune systems. He said he has to be mindful of his physical interactions to ensure the children aren’t put at risk.
“As of right now, I’m just envisioning 150 people in one space and I’m nervous about it,” he explained.
As of yet, no one has been let back into the building to gather their personal belongings.
Kelowna Capital News will update this story as soon as more information becomes available.
