CFD evacuates Kootenay Market, responds to MVI Monday afternoon
By Kyra Hoggan
Castlegar Fire Department had a busy afternoon Monday, first with an evacuation and then responding to a single-vehicle MVI on Kinnaird Bridge.
Fire Chief Sam Lattanzio said it was just before noon when they received a report of a gas leak at Kootenay Market.
“When we arrived, they had already evacuated the grocery store, which was awesome, they did what they needed to do,” Lattanzio said, adding the CFD then evacuated all the other businesses in the strip mall as a precaution.
He said firefighters then entered the store with detection equipment in search of a leak.
“We weren’t able to detect anything unusual,” he said. “Fortis arrived on scene and cleared the store, allowing people to return inside after about half an hour or 45 minutes.”
Lattanzio said the cause of the original smell that prompted the 9-1-1 call has yet to be determined.
Later in the day, at 3:44 p.m., CFD received a call about an MVI on Kinnaird Bridge.
They arrived at 3:47 p.m. to find a west-bound vehicle had crossed the oncoming lane and slammed into the guard rail on the south side of the bridge.
“The Ministry of Transportation was called to the scene as well,” Lattanzio said. “The two occupants of the vehicle were looked over by BCAS, but not transported to hospital, as they appeared to be uninjured.”
CFD stayed on scene to manage hazardous materials on the bridge which had leaked from the vehicle, which sustained significant damage.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
Comments