Saint John emergency crews dealt with an ammonia leak at an arena on the city’s west side on Tuesday.
Firefighters were called to the Peter Murray Arena on Dever Road around 8 a.m. for an ammonia alarm, according to platoon chief Josh Hennessy.
“Crews did, in fact, find readings of ammonia on their gas monitoring system, so at that point initiated an evacuation of that building and the immediate surrounding area to ensure no one was at risk,” Hennessy said in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
No one was in the building when crews arrived and no one was hurt, said Hennessy.
Once a perimeter was set up, Hennessy said an ammonia specialist was brought in and was able to isolate the leak by 10:30 a.m.
He said crews monitored air quality levels outside of the arena and did not detect any readings.
Several fire trucks were visible at the arena, including the region’s hazardous materials team. The Saint John Police Force and Ambulance New Brunswick were also at the scene.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, crews were still working to repair the leak.
Hennessy said they are optimistic the arena will reopen before the end of the day.
Emergency crews are on scene at the Peter Murray Arena in west Saint John at this hour for reports of an ammonia leak. pic.twitter.com/VAoF8wiwrB
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) August 17, 2021
The Saint John Sea Dogs were scheduled to use the Peter Murray Arena starting Tuesday for their annual training camp. Their usual home at TD Station is undergoing renovations ahead of the 2021-22 season.
In a tweet, the team said Scrimmage #1 had been moved to the qplex in Quispamsis and would take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Scrimmage #2 will also take place at the qplex from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Both events are open to the public.
