Dozens Of Homes Evacuated After Gas Line Ruptures In Mercer County
HERMITAGE (KDKA)- Around 40 homes were evacuated in Mercer County after a gas line ruptured Monday night.
It happened just before midnight in the area of Ridgelawn Drive in Hermitage.
A six-inch gas main ruptured, forcing officials to evacuate 30-40 homes in a three-block area.
"They said, 'You guys need to get out. There's a gas leak.' I was like, 'Well, how long do we have?' and they said, 'You need to get out now,'" Shawna Williams said.
Two residents had to be helped from their homes by medics, but nobody was injured.
"I had concerns that the place was going to blow up. I felt bad because the fire department was out here standing on the street. I was afraid they were going to get hurt. Just the odor of the gas was extremely strong last night," Vince Collins said.
St. Paul's United Church of Christ was used as an evacuation center for people who were forced out by the gas leak. The American Red Cross says they helped 19 residents with shelter.
National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation out of Oil City owns the gas line. They sent a team to shut off the gas and to try to figure out how to fix the ruptured line. The company claims there was an issue at a regulator station. They will send another crew to the scene to continue working on fixing the line.
The gas was shut off, and people were allowed back in their homes around 3:30 a.m.
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