Evacuations in Hartford after construction crew cut gas line, leading to leak

HARTFORD -- We Energies crews were called out to a building near Main Street and Jackson Street in Hartford Tuesday afternoon, June 7th after construction crews cut a gas pipe -- leading to a gas leak.

The call for this incident came in around 3:15 p.m.

It happened at what is called the "Mole Hole" building. We're told construction crews were working on rehabbing the building when they cut a gas pipe with a saw-zaw.

The construction crews didn't realize the pipe was upstream from the valve, so gas started leaking out.

Officials with the Hartford Fire Department metered the air, and found that natural gas levels were at an "extremely volatile level" so the building was evacuated, along with several businesses in the area. A one-block area surrounding E. Jackson Street was evacuated, and that included City Hall.

 

We Energies crews responded and shut the gas off -- and the building was ventilated.

The scene was cleared by 5:15 p.m. and everything was back to normal operations.