Residents were evacuated from an apartment building Friday morning, many of them elderly or with restricted mobility, after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected.
Carol Henke, spokesperson for the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) said a four-storey apartment building on Cranford Drive SE with 50 to 60 units was completely evacuated after an initial call for a smell of gas.
Henke said investigators detected dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide in the building – between 100 and 130 parts per million.
Alberta Health Services EMS said as of 10 a.m. there were no injuries but first responders remained at the scene for precautionary reasons, checking residents for any signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, which could include flu-like symptoms or nausea.
Henke said a person exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide can eventually lose consciousness and die.
Investigators determined the high carbon monoxide levels were due to the building’s fresh air intake being plugged by ice and snow.
Henke said carbon monoxide levels in the home should be zero, to be safe, and that with more snow in the forecast it’s important to make sure fresh air intakes are free of ice and snow.