Some east London residents were temporarily evacuated Monday morning after a gas leak at a vacant home on Vancouver Street. “We had a report of a natural gas odor from the exterior of the building,” said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. “First crews arrived on scene and there was a heavy odor of natural gas within the home. We took immediate action to evacuate residents from the area to ensure the safety of a potential explosion. We actually shut down hydro remotely with London Hydro to ensure the safety and reduce any potential spark.” Crews ventilated the property and brought levels back to normal ranges, so they could begin allowing neighbours to return home. “We’ve seen this many times before and, of course, we know the implications of an explosion when it comes to natural gas,” said Mosburger, referring to the Woodman Avenue explosion in 2019. “We take every safety measure possible to ensure the safety of our people as well as anybody that’s around the area.”
