More than 60 seniors living in an Oakley apartment complex were forced to evacuate after an unusual incident in their building on Sunday.
The incident happened in an elevator at Oak Grove Senior Terrace on Carol Lane.
What started as a midmorning call of someone stuck in an elevator quickly grew to something more.
“They determined that the elevator was stuck between floors because of a water leak or an unknown substance in a bathtub on the second floor, that overflowed from the tub into the loadbearing wall that has the electrical service for the entire apartment complex,” said Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Jeff Burris.
Contra Costa County firefighters said no one was inside the stuck elevator. But the hazmat team was called in to figure out what was inside a bathtub in one of the units. They said it might be sewage.
With the electrical system impacted, PG&E shut off power for safety reasons, forcing more than 60 seniors to evacuate. It was not an easy process as some residents were in wheelchairs or use walkers, while others had medical issues.
“If I didn’t have an extra oxygen tank, I would be in bad shape. Because they don't have no generators here,” said Oakley resident Betsy Ransey.
Local
Some residents told NBC Bay Area that they have dealt with flooding in the complex before. Firefighters confirmed that on Sunday.
Jackie Rider, who lives in the complex, had to evacuate with her two dogs.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
“They don’t maintain these building like they’re supposed to. If they did, we wouldn’t have these problems,” she said.
NBC Bay Area reached out to Oak Grove Senior Terrace on Sunday but did not receive a response.
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and several other agencies spent more than three hours safely evacuating the tenants and their pets. The displaced seniors will now spend Sunday night and possibly Monday night in a nearby hotel.
