Several Sheboygan businesses evacuated Thursday due to natural gas leak

SHEBOYGAN -- C.A. Flipse & Sons in Sheboygan, along with surrounding businesses, were evacuated Thursday, Feb. 14 following a natural gas leak.  As a result, natural gas service was turned off for approximately 300 homes.

According to officials, around 2:50 p.m. the Sheboygan Fire Department was dispatched to the report of a natural gas leak in the area of 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Upon arrival, crews found a large amount of natural gas coming from a boring hole in front of C.A. Flipse & Sons Wholesale. A company was working in the area at the time of the incident.

Firefighters assessed the situation and found natural gas entering the basement of C.A. Flipse & Sons Wholesale from the leak outside and quickly evacuated the building.

As a further precaution, the following surrounding businesses were also evacuated, even though no natural gas was found in them: Depot Towing, Suscha’s Bar, Prigge’s Bus, and Travel Leaders.

Wisconsin Public Service was contacted to respond and turned off the gas main, which cut natural gas service to approximately 300 homes.

Alliant Energy was called to cut the power to C.A. Flipse & Sons building. After the power was cut, firefighters entered CA Flipse & Sons and ventilated the building to clear out the natural gas and mitigate any possible fire or explosion potential.

There were no firefighter or civilian injures.