Streets reopen, evacuation order lifted after gas leak in Halifax

A gas leak shut down part of south end Halifax on Friday morning.

Part of Halifax’s south end was shut down due to a gas leak during the rush hour Friday morning.

Halifax Regional Police and Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency responded to the gas leak on Queen Street around 8:30 a.m.

The Halifax Professional Fire Fighters Association says members quickly determined the leak was caused by a ruptured natural gas line.

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“Businesses and residences in the area were evacuated, and our hazardous materials team established a large isolation zone—spanning several city blocks—based on weather, wind and gas behaviour,” said the association in a Facebook post.

“Out of caution, the Victoria General Hospital was advised to isolate air handling systems and restrict movement in and out of their facilities. Power in the area was also cut to eliminate potential ignition sources.”

Police closed a section of Queen Street and Fenwick Street and Nova Scotia Health was asking patients, visitors and staff not to go to the QEII’s Victoria General site. People who were already in the hospital were asked to remain inside until the issue was resolved.

The situation was brought under control about two hours later and the evacuation order was lifted. The streets have reopened and Nova Scotia Health says people can re-enter the Victoria General hospital.

“Once the extent of the leak was confirmed, our hazmat members, in full firefighting gear and breathing apparatus, advanced using a fog-pattern hose stream to disperse gas vapours,” said the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters Association.

“These calls may appear minor, but they carry serious risk. This morning’s high humidity and low wind made vapours slow to dissipate, increasing hazard potential. We thank everyone for following responders’ instructions.”

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