Odour leads to evacuation of West Kelowna apartment building

Around 150 West Kelowna residents had to leave their apartment building early Sunday morning due to a smell in the building.

West Kelowna Fire Rescue said the odour prompted the evacuation of the apartment complex on Elliott Road around 4 a.m. Sunday.

A regional hazmat team was also called in from Kelowna, the fire chief said in a statement.

The fire department and hazmat team spent Sunday morning investigating the cause.

“The building was swept and visually inspected all suites on the affected floors. Nothing was found,” fire chief Jason Brolund said in a statement issued just before 11 a.m.

“While some indications were received, none were strong or persistent enough to identify the exact nature or cause.”

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Construction on the 60 unit building was completed earlier this year.

“A detailed inspection has already been completed and an additional inspection is taking place currently in an effort to safely and expeditiously reinstate full tenant access,” wrote Lauren Fourmeaux Clemens, the company’s general counsel & director of corporate affairs.

At one point on Sunday morning, the fire chief told Global News the odour had dissipated after efforts were made to ventilate the building.

However, the chemical smell later returned and the fire chief said investigators planned to inspect the building unit by unit.

Around 10 a.m. fire officials were also looking at whether they could allow residents to return to the building, but that did not occur.

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“The continued patience of the public and residents of the building is appreciated while we work to pinpoint the issue and return them to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so,” Brolund said in his 10:50 a.m. update.

A reception centre for evacuees was set up early Sunday morning at the Royal LePage Place Arena on Cameron Road.

Brolund expects to provide another update on the situation by 3 p.m. on Sunday.

“Plans are in place should residents need to remain evacuated overnight and will be communicated if required later in the day,” Brolund said.

– with files from Shelby Thom