Crews investigate potential gas leak in downtown Vancouver

Vancouver Fire Rescue said Saturday it investigated the scene of a potential natural gas leak in a residential building near Yaletown in the downtown area.

Public information officer Matt Trudeau tells The Leader Spirit they received a report just after 11 a.m. of a gas smell in the building on Richards Street near Smithe Street. He says people in the nearby area were evacuated as a precaution but no injuries have been reported.

“(We are being) obviously extra diligent and safe, just considering the building and its proximity to a bunch of units,” he said. “So that’s why we have a large response here, because it isn’t a multi units high rise residential structure.”

Trudeau said crews worked with Fortis on containment of the leak.

Streets were closed while crews were working. The area has now been reopened.

With files from Cole Schisler.

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