Gas leak leads to evacuation in Juniper Ridge

A significant amount of natural gas had been found in the attic of a home in the area. Crews shut down surrounding streets and four other homes were evacuated as a precaution. An ambulance was on standby as well.

As Qu’Appelle is a major artery in Juniper, traffic was backed up down Highland Road toward Valleyiew. By 6:30 PM, Fortis crews had shut the gas leak off and RCMP Corporal Joe Bayda said in a news release that by 6:45, the problem had been resolved and all roads were reopened.

Kamloops Fire and Rescue Acting Platoon Captain Will Harlock said Thursday morning that no definite cause has been established at this point. He said it took a bit of time for crews to access the site because of the hilly terrain and the fact the gas line was four feet deep. He said there was quite a bit of gas in the attic of the one roof, and it could have been much more serious.

EARLIER- A gas leak led to an evacuation in Juniper Ridge Wednesday afternoon.

RCMP and Kamloops Fire Rescue personnel block off an area around the 2000 block of Qu’appelle Blvd.

There’s no word at this point how many homes were affected by the evacuation, but it appears residents are being allowed back into their homes.

Kamloops RCMP Staff Sgt. Mat van Laer says in a news release that the leak came from a condo construction site on the road.

The area was evacuated as a precaution until the leak can be fixed.

Reports indicate FortisBC was able to turn the gas off, meaning the west section of Qu’Appelle boulevard will no longer be blocked off.

by James Peters

Gas leak leads to evacuation in Juniper Ridge

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