Highway reopen after contractor shocked on Sylacauga power line job sparks gas-fed fire
WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE? WELL, GUY, WE’VE BEEN OUT HERE MOST OF THE AFTERNOON. THE ROAD WAS CLOSED OFF HERE BEHIND ME. RIGHT FROM WHERE THIS STREET SIGN IS PRETTY FAR BACK. AND YOU CAN SEE THERE’S STILL SOME CREWS WORKING OUT THERE. BUT THIS ROAD IS REOPENED. I CAN TELL YOU THAT A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR WAS OUT HERE WORKING ON THOSE POWER LINES WHEN THEY WERE SHOCKED AND HAD TO BE TREATED BY AN AMBULANCE AND THEN AIRLIFTED TO UAB HOSPITAL. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT KNOW THAT VICTIM’S CONDITION, BUT AFTER TALKING TO THE TALLADEGA COUNTY CORONER, WE DO KNOW THAT THEY ARE STILL ALIVE. WHENEVER THEY WERE SHOCKED, I DO KNOW THAT THE POWER LINES HIT THE GROUND AND STARTED A FIRE ON TOP OF A NATURAL GAS LINE, WHICH HAS BEEN THE BIG CHALLENGE ALL DAY, IS THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TURN OFF THAT GAS LINE, WHICH MEANS THE FIRE HAS BEEN BURNING SINCE 11:00 THIS MORNING. OBVIOUSLY, THEY’VE PUT IT OUT. NOW THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO REOPEN THE ROAD. AND ONE BIG QUESTION I HAD TODAY, I SPOKE WITH THE SYLACAUGA FIRE CHIEF EARLIER. HIS NAME IS NATE OSGOOD. I HAD A BIG QUESTION FOR HIM. I WAS WONDERING HOW THIS WAS AFFECTING RESIDENTS AND IF WITH THAT NATURAL GAS, IF ANY RESIDENTS WERE EVER IN ANY DANGER. JUST TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID. ALL OF THE IMMEDIATE DANGER, BOTH ELECTRICALLY AND GAS RELATED AND EVERYTHING ELSE HAS, HAS BEEN SAVED. SO THEY’RE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN’T HAVE TO DO ANY EVACUATIONS WITH THE GAS LEAK. WE DIDN’T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THAT. SO AT THIS POINT, WE’RE JUST CONTAINING THE FIRE AND ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE AREA STAYS SAFE UNTIL WHATEVER TIME WE CAN GET THE GAS LINE SHUT OFF. NOW THAT FIRE AND THAT GAS LINE HAVE BEEN PUT OUT AND SHUT OFF. THANKFULLY, AND LIKE I SAID, THIS ROAD HAS BEEN REOPENED. SO TRAFFIC IS FLOWING FREELY. THAT WAS GOOD TIMING FOR THEM. ON THEIR PART BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GETTING OFF WORK AT 5:00, BUT THEY ARE STILL OUT HERE WORKING ON THOSE POWER LINES AND WORKING WHERE THAT GAS LINE WAS. I WAS TOLD THAT SOME RESIDENTS MAY BE WITHOUT GAS WHILE THEY WERE WORKING TO FIX THAT GAS LINE. THEY HAD TO SHUT PART OF IT OFF. BUT HOPEFULLY THEY’RE ABLE TO GET THOSE RESIDENTS GAS BACK ON SOON. RIGHT NOW, WE DO NOT KNOW THE CONDITION OF THE VICTIM, BUT WE’RE WORKING TO FIND THAT OUT FOR YOU AS WE LEARN MORE. AS ALWAYS, WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON AIR AND ONLINE. FOR NOW, LI
Highway reopen after contractor shocked on Sylacauga power line job sparks gas-fed fire
A contractor working on power lines in Sylacauga suffered a severe electrical shock, igniting a chain of events that led to a gas-fed fire and road closure in Sylacauga.The contractor was working on power lines for Sylacauga Utilities on Talladega Highway Wednesday when he was seriously shocked, according to the Sylacauga Fire Department. The contractor has since been airlifted to UAB Hospital. No one else was injured.During the accident, live lines dropped and split open a gas main, sparking a gas-fed fire.Firefighters said that they had to let the fire burn until they can properly bleed out the gas line.The Highway has since been reopened.
A contractor working on power lines in Sylacauga suffered a severe electrical shock, igniting a chain of events that led to a gas-fed fire and road closure in Sylacauga.
The contractor was working on power lines for Sylacauga Utilities on Talladega Highway Wednesday when he was seriously shocked, according to the Sylacauga Fire Department.
The contractor has since been airlifted to UAB Hospital. No one else was injured.
During the accident, live lines dropped and split open a gas main, sparking a gas-fed fire.
Firefighters said that they had to let the fire burn until they can properly bleed out the gas line.
The Highway has since been reopened.