SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah (KUTV) — Residents started to return to normal after a gas leak ignited a fire and forced nearly 400 evacuations.
On Sunday, the South Salt Lake Fire Department and Unified Fire Authority responded to a truck fire caused by a downed power line.
According to South Salt Lake Fire Chief Terry Addison, a gas leak occurred at some point, but it went undetected because the burning gas was odorless.
MORE | Gas leak, fire: Evacuations ordered for South Salt Lake neighborhood after gas leak ignites into flames
Addison said the fire crews did not detect the leak until water on the ground started bubbling.
Michelle Real Ocampos, the owner of Real Forklift, said she was worried her business would catch fire.
“I’m really stressed out, but can’t get too dramatic right now,” she said.
Enbridge technicians deemed the area safe on Monday morning after inspecting the area for further leaks.
Robert Hall, a senior advisor with the Pipeline Safety Trust, was grateful that the situation was controlled by first responders.
“It could’ve been very serious with a distribution line,” he said. “The fact that it was detected allowed the fire department and the utility to take the appropriate action to stop the flow of gas.”
Hall emphasized that while this incident did not cause a major disaster, Enbridge should thoroughly inspect the gas line infrastructure.
“They need to look at the integrity of the line and make sure that there weren’t any pre-existing leaks,” Hall said. “And if there were pre-existing leaks, they should be doing a leak survey in that area.”
KUTV 2News reached out to Enbridge for comment, but a spokesperson was unavailable. Instead, they sent a statement:
On April 27, Enbridge Gas was called to respond to a fire in the area of 3400 S and West Temple in South Salt Lake. Upon arrival, it was determined that a fallen power line had damaged the natural gas line, which fueled the resulting fire.
Working safely alongside the local fire department, Rocky Mountain Power, and other emergency response officials, Enbridge crews were able to secure the line around 9 p.m., and began making repairs to the damaged pipeline.
To ensure public safety, a specified area near the incident was evacuated. Road closures were implemented to isolate the escaping natural gas and contain the fire.
As of early this morning, gas was restored to normal operating conditions and customers were able to return to their homes. Crews have been able to relight all homes and businesses to which they were able gain access. If a customer wasn’t available or home during the initial relight, and needs assistance relighting, please call Customer Care at 1-800-323-5517.
We are appreciative of the collaboration and partnerships with South Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake City fire and police for getting the word out about the necessary evacuations. We are also appreciative of the American Red Cross and other parties who set up a temporary shelter for the displaced residents overnight.
Additional details surrounding the incident are currently under investigation.
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