About 200 Surrey residents had to leave their homes Saturday evening after a leaking gas line filled a house with natural gas, putting it at risk of exploding
Surrey Fire Service battalion chief Andy George said he arrived on the scene near the intersection of 143rd and 60th Avenue around 7:30 p.m. to find a 5,000 square foot house filled with natural gas.
"If an ignition source happens [the house] could explode and cause a bit of damage," George said.
Battalion chief Reo Jarome who spoke to CTV Sunday said that gas levels were well within explosive range.
"This could have levelled this home so there'd be nothing left except the roof," he said. "If the gas had gotten out and beyond the outside of the home, this would look like a warzone right here."
A single spark could have caused a fatal explosion, but luckily someone smelled the telltale rotten egg small of natural gas and phoned for help.
Emergency crews evacuated all houses in the vicinity and shut off the gas line to the vacant house to let the gas dissipate.
City buses showed up to ferry residents to safety. Six homes, two townhouses and one condominium were evacuated. According to Fortis BC, up to 200 people were forced to leave.
Kristy Rolcof was one of those residents told to leave. Her house backs directly on to the one that was leaking gas.
"It was urgent. It was like, grab your keys and get out," she said. "I grabbed my kids and my car keys, dropped everything and left."
At the time, she was carving pumpkins with her kids and a neighbour.
"It makes me angry. Really angry," she said. "It could have been devastating. We could have lost our house, or more."
The cause of the gas leak in a house that's slated for demolition is still under investigation
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Sarah MacDonald
