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A gas leak at Main and Scott streets Friday afternoon caused several home evacuations as well as street and business closures.
Employees of Carey Excavation Inc., Warsaw, were conducting excavating work when their excavator dug into a gas line at Main and Scott streets at 1:20 p.m. Friday, according to Rob Barker, chief of training for the Warsaw Fire Department.
The gas leak was the second that has occurred in less than a month. A gas leak occurred Sept. 11 at the intersection of Buffalo and Market streets when employees of Construction Services of Indiana, Warsaw, were installing a 12-inch water main along Market Street and ran into an unmarked gas line.
The gas leak also prompted street closures and business evacuations.
A spokesperson for Carey Excavation could not be reached for comment by press time.
The Warsaw police and fire departments arrived on the scene at 1:24 p.m. and closed off Main, Center and Market streets, and evacuated 10 to 12 square blocks of homes along the streets by 1:30 p.m., Barker said.
Businesses that were closed around 1:30 p.m. due to the gas leak included Blosser's Camera and Video, East Center Street, and ReMax Rainbow Realty, at the corner of East Center and Scott streets.
The businesses were re-opened around 2:30 p.m. Friday, according to business owners.
Warsaw Street Department employees placed barricades and cones along the streets to prevent drivers from driving on the closed streets.
NIPSCO arrived at the scene at 1:24 p.m. and the gas leak was shut off by 1:46 p.m.
Other departments who assisted included the Winona Lake Fire Department, Pierceton Fire Department, Leesburg Fire Department and Multi-Township Emergency Medical Systems.
"We called in extra departments, who all worked well together in closing streets and businesses and assisted in evacuating homes," Barker said.
He said many residents were not allowed to use their automobiles and Emergency Management of Kosciusko County assisted by coordinating Kosciusko Area Bus Services to provide a bus for residents to evacuate the area.
"There were less than five people who used the bus service and others took walks," Barker said.
"We were trying to be proactive in getting people out of the area before they had to use their own automobiles."
Departments remained at the scene until 2:36 p.m. and NIPSCO remained at the scene until the area was deemed safe.
