South Bend gas leak forces evacuation again

SOUTH BEND — By the dozens they came, dressed in the business-casual attire of the local government worker, spilling out of the County-City Building into the noontime sun. A block away, on Main Street in front of the federal courthouse, construction workers had struck a gas line, sending the smelly, potentially explosive vapors into the air and prompting the evacuation of several buildings and the scrambling of firefighters, police officers and NIPSCO workers. It was just before noon Wednesday, lunchtime, but the crowds of downtown workers were limited where they could go. Main Street was blocked for two blocks, from Washington to Wayne streets. Jefferson Avenue was likewise closed, from Michigan Avenue to Lafayette Boulevard. So, instead, the workers gathered along sidewalks and in parking lots, enjoying the spring weather and waiting for the all-clear as many shared a similar sentiment: What’s with all the gas leaks? Since the start of 2010, South Bend has experienced four gas leaks caused by a construction crew striking an underground gas main. The first leak, on Feb. 16, led to the explosion of a home in the Sandpiper Cove condominium complex and a fire that destroyed three more housing units. A week later, crews installing a telephone pole struck a gas line near the intersection of Parry Street and Northside Boulevard, leading to a brief evacuation of nearby buildings. On March 16, a contractor cutting concrete for a storm drain on North Shore Drive struck a gas main, forcing the closure of the road and the evacuation of four homes and Madison School. During Wednesday’s leak, Fire Chief Howard Buchanon said, firefighters evacuated people from four nearby buildings but the danger was limited because of a strong wind out of the south that quickly dispersed the gas. "It does seem like there’s been more (gas leaks) than we’re used to," Buchanon said. "Part of it is that the season is changing; there’s more construction and digging in the spring, so that leads to more problems." But, Buchanon said, the explosion at Sandpiper Cove is still fresh in people’s memories, making them pay more attention to gas leaks. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. "Now, when people hear gas leak, they will move and get out of the way," Buchanon said. It was also fresh in minds of fire department administrators, Buchanon said, because at the time the gas leak was reported, police, fire and NIPSCO officials were in the middle of a meeting discussing gas leak protocol. Buchanon said the meeting was planned after the Sandpiper Cove explosion and was designed to work out communication problems between the agencies during a gas leak. "Ironically, that’s when the gas leak occurred," Buchanon said. But by 1 p.m., NIPSCO workers had resealed the line and welded it shut, ending the building evacuations with no reports of injuries. Ongoing work by NIPSCO, however, forced the closure of a block of Main Street until the early evening hours. "This went pretty well," Buchanon said. "We got everyone evacuated safely and there were no injuries. Plus, the weather outside was pretty nice, too." Staff writer Dave Stephens: dstephens@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6209