Main Street Reopens After Gas Leak In Ellicott City; Firefighter Suffers Possible Heat Exhaustion
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- A gas leak is secure and Main Street in Ellicott City is open to traffic again after a gas leak was reported Thursday afternoon.
The gas line was struck in the 8000 block of Tiber Alley off Main Street. It led Howard County firefighters to evacuate 30 buildings withing a 1500-foot radius.
Gas line struck on the 8000 blk of Tiber Alley in Ellicott City off of Main Street. Crews working to evacuate surrounding area. BGE en route.
— Howard Co Fire & EMS (@HCDFRS) August 22, 2019
Main Street was closed off to vehicle traffic from Columbia Pike to the county line for about two-and-a-half hours. St. Paul Street was also closed at College Avenue.
BGE said a contractor not working for BGE severed a gas line serving one building.
Out of an abundance of caution, BGE worked with the fire department to evacuate the building where the incident occurred as well as nearby buildings.
BGE crews stopped the flow of gas to the building and are now venting the building and working to make it safe for people to reenter.
We will also be making repairs to the damaged gas equipment.
A Howard County firefighter who responded to the scene was taken to an area hospital for possible heat exhaustion. No civilians were injured.