A propane gas leak prompted officials to evacuate buildings and close off a portion of the downtown for more than one hour Wednesday morning, officials say.
NCFD Engine 7 Supply Line. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Fire Department
At about 9:15 a.m., the New Canaan Fire Department responded to a report of the leak behind 15 Elm St., which turned out to have non-explosive levels of propane, according to a press release issued by Fire Chief Albe Bassett. The address is the same as SE Uncorked.
“A worker from one of the restaurants investigated an odor of gas and quickly identified a problem with one on the 100 gallon tanks,” Bassett said in the release. “The leak originated from the bleeder valve on one of the tanks in a four tank cascaded system for cooking appliances. Initially firefighters turned off all of tanks except the leaking one because of ice formation on the valve. A protective hose line was placed to disburse the vapors.”
Firefighters measured for gas concentrations and evacuated #1 -17 Elm St and 107-113 Main St. of its occupants, Bassett said.
The ice formation on the 100-gallon propane tank. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Fire Department
The New Canaan Police and Highway Departments assisted in closing Elm Street and Main Street from East Avenue to Burtis Avenue, as well as South Avenue entering Elm, to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
“Firefighters found non-explosive levels of propane in multiple occupancies and basements,” Bassett said. “The gas was safely vented out of the structures. The propane company responsible for the tanks assisted with removing the ice formation and closing the bleeder valve.”
Occupants were allowed back into the commercial buildings around 10:30 a.m. and restaurants had their gas service restored by 12 p.m., Bassett said.
The Norwalk and Vista, N.Y. Fire Departments provided coverage for the town, he said. Fairfield County Hazardous Materials Incident was called for a possible flaring operation but did not operate, Bassett said.
South Avenue and Elm Street during the propane leak scare on the morning of June 12, 2024. Credit: Carl Franco
Though the incident was handled without injury or damage to any property, Bassett did address the following safety concerns:
- If you smell gas call 911. The call for this incident came into the firehouse on a routine telephone number. The firefighters are often out of the station for training or other incidents
- Know the company you purchase propane from. We often need their technical assistance on scene and most companies will not work on other companies’ equipment.
- DO NOT drive over fire hose. Water is critical to protecting civilian and firefighter lives and your property, vehicles damage hose when driven over.
- Respect the areas that have been cordoned off. Safety zones were established in the event the gas in the buildings exploded.