2011-05-26

Startled me, it did!

There is a small building across the school yard from where I live and it houses a gas line pressure release valve. I know this now, because it decided to release last night and startled me. I had just turned on my toaster oven and turned when the first venting occurred and my first thought was: what did I do? My second thought was: what are the tenants up to now? It sounded like it was right outside my patio door.

Being the brave (or foolish) person that I am, I put on a sweater and ventured outside and at first I couldn't see anything, but, it was so much louder! I was thinking: invasion? The air was vibrating, so maybe the air force was playing around, but they would have to have been really, really low and have figured out how to do it rhythmically. Then I noticed something between the branches of the trees (and the poor scared rabbit that didn't know where to go) so I walked along the grass and sure enough there is a jet of (what I thought was) steam shooting into the air every few seconds. I tried to get a video, but alas I had not yet used the movie feature on my camera and it was on the default setting of won't work on your computer AVCHD, which is for viewing on your HD TV (which I don't have) or making Blue Ray discs (which I also don't have).

One of the other tenants in the building got a pretty good video though and posted it to YouTube.




After listening to that for about 20 minutes, the knock came on the door telling us to evacuate, that it is a gas leak.... by the time I was dressed and stuffed Sibu into his carrier, got my cane and drugs etc. people were coming back in. It smelled worse outside and we were told to wait inside, they would knock again if we needed to go.

Another 30 minutes later.....it finally stopped! Five minutes later, doors were knocked on and we were told to get out, 10 minutes later we were told to go back in again.

Good thing we didn't have to go out again, I am pretty sure I would not have caught Sibu a third time. I am surprised I got him the second time.

I am pleased with the tenants in the building, there was no panic and I am pretty sure everyone left as they were asked to do. I am also glad to live in this wing as I believe the other wing got a bit of the odour, which I did not.

Have a good day all.

21 comments:

Leah J. Utas said...

Reb, I'm glad you and Sibu and everyone else are okay. That must have been more than unsettling.

Reb said...

Thanks Leah. I wasn't all that concerned about it really. I knew it was doing the job it was supposed to do and there had been no explosion. The wind was enough to disperse the gas without causing too many problems.

solarity said...

Brave and cooperative Sibu! Good cat!

Mary Anne in Kentucky

messymimi said...

Yikes! Glad no one was hurt, and that Sibu allowed himself to be caught again instead of turning on his cat cloak of invisibility.

Reb said...

Mary Anne, he is getting slow in his old age ;)

Thanks Messymimi, me too.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

Yikes! it can't have been comforting that they couldn't decide how to handle exposure to people and pets. Glad you are okay.

the Bag Lady said...

Just glad everything worked out alright, and that I didn't have to hear about yet another neighbourhood in Edmonton blown sky-high!

Reb said...

Karen, you are right. they should have had a better idea of what to do right from the get-go.

Sis, me too!

Scott Oglesby said...

I always knew you were a hero at heart!

Don't you love that initial feeling of adrenaline when you're going to 'check something out' though?

I do!

Reb said...

Scott, truth be told I was just curious and a bit ticked off. I hate my peace and quiet being disturbed ;)

Barbara Martin said...

Be careful about residual after effects, Reb. Like dizziness and nausea, headaches, etc. Gas leaks are nothing to fool with.

Reb said...

Thanks Barbara. The wind was blowing it away from me, I didn't catch a whiff of it at all (and I have a really good sniffer).

Dawn said...

Sibu should be honored that you grabbed him first! I always worry when you read these natural disasters and people leave animals behind.

Reb said...

Dawn, so do I. I am glad the fire alarms in this building only go off when they are being tested. My last complex, they would go off at least once a month, after the first few, he learned to run and hide. Dangerous, but I would still grab him.

Dianne said...

Holy Crackers!!
that is a lot of gas leaking out
I know what you mean about catching Sibu, especially with a cane
I have told Siren and Isa that if they want to live then they must participate in evacuation drills ;)

glad all is OK

Hilary said...

Wow.. that's quite the gas release. I've known men like that. ;)

I know how difficult it is to corner and capture a cat. I'm glad evacuation attempt number 2 didn't happen. And I'm glad all is ok.

Reb said...

Thanks Dianne. Sibu is getting better in his old age about hiding from noises - likes knocks on the door.

Hilary, me too, although no-one quite broke the sound barrier which I think it was doing.

Barrie said...

Ack. Scary. Although it sounds as though all went well.

Reb said...

Barrie, just for the first few minutes, then it was more annoying than anything.

Frank Baron said...

Well, that must have been darned disconcerting. Glad it all ended well.

Reb said...

Thanks Frank, so am I.