By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Residents living in the 200 block of South Pine Street in the City of Burlington were evacuated from their homes about 9 a.m. Friday while utility workers attempted to shutoff of natural gas leak.
City firefighters were dispatched to the area about 8:45 a.m. following a report of leak from a contracting company that was working in the area.
According to Fire Chief Richard Lodl, the company was boring underground when it struck a gas line.
Emergency personnel cordoned off an area of approximately one block and evacuated several homes on both sides of Pine Street.
The area is adjacent to the Pinecrest Shopping Center and the now-vacant M&I Bank building. The shopping center remained open, but Pine Street was shut down between Adams and Crest streets.
Crews from We Energies, the local natural gas utility, were on the scene about 9 a.m. and working to pinpoint the leak. Manhole covers had been removed in the area and utility crews were seen using detection devices.
Lodl said he had heard from utility workers on scene that construction crews would likely have to be summoned to open a portion of the street to repair the leaking line.
“It looks like we’ll be here awhile,” he said. “Once (the utility company) gets here, we pretty much do what they tell us.”
A steady breeze was blowing out of the north-northeast, which would help disperse the leaking gas, Lodl said.
-
-
-
-
-