'Natural gas incident' prompts evacuation, lockdown at BCIT's Burnaby campus

The BCIT campus in Burnaby is seen in this file photo. (BCIT)

Two buildings at BCIT's Burnaby campus were evacuated Wednesday afternoon "due to a reported natural gas incident."

An email from campus security indicates that buildings SE14 and SE16 were being evacuated. The buildings in question include the school's library and its recreation services department.

"Effective immediately, buildings SE14 and SE16 are on lockdown and closed until further notice," the email reads, thanking the campus community for its co-operation.

"BCIT is currently attending to the incident and the BCIT community is not in immediate danger. More information will be communicated as it becomes available."

In an update later in the afternoon, the school said the buildings would remain closed for the rest of the day Wednesday and reopen for regular business hours on Thursday.

Asked for more information about the incident, FortisBC told CTV News it was called to a home on Willingdon Avenue near the BCIT campus for a report of a gas odour.

The call came in around 12:40 p.m. and a crew arrived to check out the situation 10 to 15 minutes later, FortisBC said.

The gas company confirmed that a house line had been damaged.

FortisBC reminds anyone who smells gas or hears it escaping to stop what they're doing, go outside and call 911 or contact FortisBC's 24-hour emergency line at 1-800-663-9911.