Granville Street in downtown Vancouver re-opens after hazmat closure

Granville Street in downtown Vancouver has re-opened after it was closed earlier today by firefighters investigating a HAZMAT incident.

Vancouver Fire now says once their members entered the building near Granville and Helmecken, they found nothing illegal or of danger.

Archie Roberts, battalion chief number one with the Vancouver Fire Department, says concerned residents called them this morning about another resident possessing some chemicals. “So we’re here coordinating our response with the Vancouver Police,” he says.

They are getting the drug squad some breathing apparatus so they can enter the building. They have been called to this building before, and say the resident does have a history with them.

Some residents of the area have been evacuated, while others have not been notified.

“I just didn’t hear any traffic noise so I just looked out the window and the street was blocked off,” says Kendra Anderson, a resident of the area.

She has not been evacuated, and says no one was telling her not to leave the area.

“I don’t know whether I should have brought any belongings, if anything’s that serious that there could be an explosion that could damage the apartment.”

She says she has not seen any trouble of this kind with the area before.

Bob Mcaven owns Sugarray’s Boxing Gym, which is opposite the building under inspection. They were told to evacuate the building this morning.

“Everybody was calm, the police are wonderful here, and the fire service do a great job so I think it’s business as usual for them and it’s just one of those things for us,” he says.

The authorities did not tell him why they had to evacuate but they have shut down for the morning.

Granville Street re-opened around noon and traffic is returning back to normal.