Skip to main content

Carbon monoxide scare clears Ottawa highrise

Residents of an Ottawa highrise had to evacuate the building overnight Wednesday after a carbon monoxide scare. (Ottawa Fire Services)

Residents of an Ottawa highrise had to evacuate the building overnight Wednesday after a carbon monoxide scare. (Ottawa Fire Services)
Share

Residents of an Ottawa highrise had to evacuate the building overnight Wednesday after a carbon monoxide scare.

Crews arrived at 50 Laurier Avenue East, near Nicholas Street, around 4 a.m. and found "extremely high levels" of carbon monoxide throughout the building, Ottawa Fire Services said on Twitter.

Levels as high as 170 parts per million were found on the upper floors, Ottawa Fire said. Health Canada's maximum exposure limit for carbon monoxide in one hour is 25 parts per million.

The entire 16-storey building had to be evacuated. Residents took shelter at a uOttawa building nearby and on OC Transpo buses brought to the scene.

A faulty HVAC unit on the roof of the building was the source of the CO, fire officials said. Fire crews remained on scene for two-and-a-half hours and ventilated the building. They also shut down all the building's HVAC units and tagged them for service.

Residents were back in the building around 6:30 a.m. No one was reported injured.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Trump promises a 25% tariff on products from Canada, Mexico

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump said on Monday that on his first day in office he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10 per cent tariff on goods from China, citing concerns over illegal immigration and the trade of illicit drugs.

NDP support for part of Liberal relief package in question, as House stalemate persists

After telling Canadians that New Democrats would back Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's holiday affordability package and help pass it quickly, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh now wants it split up, as he's only ready to support part of it. Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the Liberals are 'certainly open to working with the opposition parties,' to find a path forward.

Stay Connected