Hazardous Materials specialists are puzzled over the gas that caused an apartment building evacuation on Monday afternoon.
Prince George Fire Rescue Service, the RCMP and BC Ambulance paramedics were called to 1698 Juniper Street at 3:15 p.m. when residents complained of lightheadedness, coughing, irritated airways, and some said a harsh smell.
After almost three hours on the scene, using trained Haz Mat personnel and specialized equipment, Deputy Fire Chief John Iverson said they had no conclusions.
"We found no source to this noxious odour that was causing problems," he told The Citizen after the building had been cleared. "We found no evidence that would even lead us to what caused it."
At the peak of the incident, 19 firefighters and Haz Mat specialists were at the building, plus police and paramedics. More than a dozen residents, including small children, were evacuated from the apartment complex. Some had taken refuge on the roof until firefighters came to escort them out using oxygen masks.
What the detection machines told authorities was there was no hazardous gases present, but there was, agreed those at the scene, an irritant in the air. Once it was ventilated, residents were allowed to return to their homes.
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