Dozens evacuated after natural gas seeps into Ottawa high-rise

A massive dumping of 70 centimetres of snow on the nation’s capital is causing issues with homes and buildings in the city.

According to firefighters, crews have responded to more than 75 calls for carbon monoxide over the weekend, largely due to exhaust pipes being blocked by snow.

The latest incident happened at 6:24 p.m. on Monday at 93 Norman. St. in the Little Italy community. A 911 caller who lived in the high-rise told dispatch they could smell natural gas in the building — which can smell like rotten eggs or a sulphur-like odour.

The chief in command of the scene asked Ottawa fire’s HazMat unit to respond and evacuate the structure. Crews told people to leave from the 9th floor to the 1st floor. An OC Transpo bus met people outside so they could keep warm.

Firefighters detected carbon monoxide readings throughout the building with peak readings of 120 parts per million at the roof where the air handling unit was.

The source of the smell was a build-up of snow inside the unit that impacted the function and distributed CO throughout the structure.

Once ventilating of the building was complete, crews allowed residents to return. No injuries were reported.