Carbon monoxide leak identified in North Oakland

An Oakland apartment building was evacuated this afternoon due to a carbon monoxide leak.

The Pittsburgh fire department, Pittsburgh paramedics and Pittsburgh police responded to a report of a carbon monoxide leak at 4601 Bayard St. a little before 1 p.m.

District Chief James Holman of the Emergency Medical Services said that preliminary investigations indicate the leak derived from an improperly vented boiler in the basement of the the King Edward apartment building.

Police and firefighters evacuated any of the apartment building’s 180 residents who were on the premises at the time the leak was reported. Legume, a restaurant adjacent to the apartment building, was also evacuated. Evacuees were given a finger probe to test their bodily carbon monoxide levels.

One woman was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital for an elevated level of carbon monoxide.

Holman said the apartment building gave off readings of 130 parts per million of carbon monoxide.

“At over 50 particles per million, it’s considered dangerous to life and health,” Holman said.

Pitt Ph.D. candidates Shuang Wang and Zhiyun Cao were among those evacuated from the building.

“It was kind of scary because someone was knocking on the door hard and firemen showed up,” Wang said.

According to Holman, individuals on the ninth floor of the apartment building, which sits on the corner of Bayard and North Craig streets, informed authorities that their carbon monoxide detector had gone off.

An emergency contact for Sterling Land Company, the owner of the King Edward apartment building, declined to comment on the situation and did not provide his name.

During the two and a half hours that authorities were on the scene, police blocked off all vehicle access to North Craig Street, though foot traffic was allowed on the sidewalks.

Holman said around 2:30 p.m. that those evacuated from the building were expected to be allowed to return to their apartments “shortly.”

Holman also said the building’s boilers will not be turned back on until a more in-depth investigation into the cause of the leak is completed.

He praised the individuals who reported the situation for their foresight.

“It’s very good that they had taken the time and money to [install] a carbon monoxide detector,” he said.

Carbon monoxide detectors are available at most hardware stores, including Home Depot and Lowe’s, locally.