Northampton, MA – Emergency personnel evacuated two downtown restaurants late Tuesday morning due to the presence of high carbon monoxide levels within the building that they share.
Some 10 to 12 people were evacuated from the Local Burger and Banh Mi Saigon restaurants, along with the apartments on the second and third floors above, shortly after a carbon monoxide alarm went off within the building at about 11:07 a.m., Deputy Fire Chief Jon Davine said.
Firefighters detected high levels of carbon monoxide within the basement and throughout the rest of the building, Davine said, adding that no injuries or ill-effects were reported.
Local Burger and Banh Mi Saigon are located at 16 and 18 Main St., respectively.
Investigators linked the problem to either the boiler in the basement or the chimney running through the basement. Davine said.
The two restaurants will remain closed until the problem is corrected, Davine said, adding that the landlord was on the way to the scene.
Natural gas to the building was shut off and the building has since been cleared of the carbon monoxide, Davine said.
Residents may return to their apartments although they won’t have any heat until the problem is corrected, he said.