Cobequid Community Health Centre in Lower Sackville reopens after boiler issue

A Halifax-area hospital was closed Thursday morning due to smoke from a boiler.

The Cobequid Community Health Centre in Lower Sackville, N.S., has reopened after being closed earlier Thursday morning.

Nova Scotia Health tells CTV News in an email the centre has reopened after an issue with one of the boilers.

“Fire officials determined one of the facility’s boilers was burning fuel inefficiently due to incomplete combustion, causing smoke to circulate throughout the building. There was no actual fire,” reads the email.

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency says the call came at 6:40 a.m. When crews learned there was smoke inside the hospital, it the call was upgraded to a full, first alarm response.

“It started in the mechanical room, in the area of the the heating plants, the boilers that are located in that area,” said Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Dist. Chief Drew MacCulloh.

“Once the power was shut down to them, the situation was quickly brought under control.”

Hospital staff and EHS assisted firefighters in evacuating patients.

Patient Mary Smith said when she arrived at the centre for blood collection she was told she would need to try and reschedule.

“They told me there was a fire and I had to go online or maybe go to one of the other places and hope that I get to get my blood work done,” she said.

Patients with blood collection appointments Thursday afternoon can return to Cobequid or go to the Bayers Road blood collection clinic for the same time as their appointment.

For diagnostic imaging appointments, patients will be contacted by staff to provide direction.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Callum Smith.

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