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Fridley Natural Gas Leak Causes Evacuations
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
MAY 19 – Fridley Fire Department crews responded to a six inch gas line leak that was ruptured by contractors operating a backhoe. The incident in the area of 58th Avenue and 2 1/2 street today caused a neighborhood to be evacuated.
Fridley Fire crews were called to the area for a natural gas leak. First arriving crews determined that the line was six inches in diameter and started an immediate evacuation of the area with Fridley Police.
Fridley Engine 3 laid a 4 inch supply line and a pre-connect line for safety.
Mutual Aid was started from Columbia Heights, Brooklyn Center, Saint Anthony and Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View to cover stations and assist at the scene.
Fridley Chief 1 reported at 3:30pm today that the gas leak had been secured.
Twin Cities Fire Wire will update this story when more information is available.
Roseville Gas Leak Snarls Traffic
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
MAY 19 – Roseville Fire Department crews responded to a six-inch natural gas line leaking at the intersection of Rice Street and County Road B at around 11:00 a.m. today.
Roseville Engine 31 arrived to find a 6″ gas line that was damage during the road construction project causing natural gas to leak into the area.
Fire crews closed down Rice Street and County Road B traffic for more then a couple of hours, causing significant traffic issues for commuters.
Twin Cities Fire Wire will update this story when more information is available.
Two Gas Main Breaks in Fridley, Roseville
May 19 – Two major gas leaks are causing traffic headaches and evacuations in the North Metro.
The first incident occurred in Roseville at the intersection of Rice Street and County Road B, where the Highway 36/Rice Street construction is taking place. A six-inch main was hit while construction crews were working around 11 :30 a.m.
Fire officials are asking that drivers and onlookers avoid the area. Already a tough area to navigate because of the entrance and exit ramps for Highway 36 as well as the intersections of Rice Street and County Road B are closed.
They expect to be on the scene for several hours as utility works control the leak.
Around 11;45, Fridley Fire crews were called to the 2 1/2 Street and 58th Avenue for a gas main break.
A six-inch line was broken, possibly by crews on a backhoe, and crews from CenterPoint Energy are on scene evaluating.
At least one hoseline has been stretched as a precaution.
Large Scale Gas Leak Prompts Evacuations in St. Anthony, Minneapolis
May 10 – A gas main that was struck during maintenance work caused evacuations in St. Anthony and Minneapolis on Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters remained on the scene for 14 hours to protect utility works that were involved in the massive repair effort.
St. Anthony firefighters were called to the intersection of Stinson Boulevard. and 30th Avenue NE around 2:30 p.m.
Chief John Malenick said that contractors working for CenterPoint Energy were performing routine maintenance when they punctured a four-inch hole in the 12-inch main. The gas was under pressure at 90 psi and people in the area reported a large hissing sound.
The size of the leak prompted evacuations of a four-block area. Since parts of Minneapolis were going to be evacuated, Minneapolis fire crews were summoned to the scene.
The pressure of the blowing gas, coupled with the large size of the hole reduced the immediate danger to residents on the street, according to Malenick.
Saint Anthony struck an all-call and mutual aid was later called from Columbia Heights, New Brighton and Roseville.
CenterPoint officials determined that shutting down the main would impact too large of an area, including Northeast Minneapolis, Columbia Heights and other surrounding communities. They had to cut the line at two locations and create a new line to bypass the leak.
Firefighters staffed hoselines in the areas where workers were making the repairs. “Our priority was to protect the workers,” Malenick said. “They were in an extremely vulnerable position.”
He also said that gas seeping into the ground of the surrounding neighborhoods was a concern, but it was closely monitored.
Malenick said that close to 20 St. Anthony firefighters stayed on scene until the repair was completed and any dangers were removed. The crews were released around 6 a.m.
The Minneapolis Mobile command unit was called to the scene to assist in organizing the large number of agencies, including police, fire, utilities, public works and other support groups. Hennepin EMS crews were also on the scene of the incident.
“It was a tremendous effort on behalf of all agencies who were called out,” Malenick told Twin Cities Fire Wire.
Maple Grove Home Destroyed in Blast
April 16 – An early morning explosion rocked a Maple Grove neighborhood and destroyed a home.
Around 7:15 a.m. Maple Grove fire crews were called to the 9400 block of Saratoga Lane for an explosion and fire. They arrived to find flames and smoke from the one-story dwelling, which suffered extensive damaged.
Maple Grove Fire Chief Scott Anderson told KSTP-TV that incident was caused by a gas leak in the vacant home.
Twin Cities Fire Wire will have more information when it is made available.
Related:
Fire Officials Talk About Minneapolis Gas Explosion Response
We want to update you on the actions of area firefighters after today’s explosion and fire in South Minneapolis.
Both Minneapolis and Richfield were called for a reported house explosion and fire at 62nd Street and Nicollet around 8:36 a.m. This KMSP-TV video shows the explosion.
As firefighters were enroute, it was determined that the incident was in Minneapolis, so Richfield Quint 1, Rescue 1 and Chief 1 continued to the scene based on their auto agreement.
Arriving Minneapolis firefighter cordoned off the area. “We began evacuating bystanders and residents,” Assistant Chief Cherie Penn said. A second alarm was called.
The 20-inch natural gas line was sending flames in excess of 100 feet into the air.
The initial perimeter was Portland to Harriet Avenues (East to West) and 54th Street to the Crosstown (North to South.)
In Minneapolis, Richfield Chief 1 assisted with the evacuation of the Cub Food store across the street from the explosion while Quint 1 helped residents along Nicollet Avenue evacuate their homes, according to Richfield Assistant Chief Wayne Kewitsch.
As manhole covers continued to explode on the south side of the incident, Kewitsch said they expanded the evacuations.
Richfield Chief 2, in coordination with the Richfield police, started evacuating to 66th Street. That area contained a number of residential structures and commercial businesses. Crews from Bloomington, Edina and Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) were called to assist on the Richfield side of the incident.
Penn said that the highest gas readings were found to be 80 parts per million.
As the gas was shut off, Penn said that Minneapolis reduced the number of resources on scene. The flames dissipated by 10:30 a.m.
Several vehicles near the fire were damaged and the sign on Cub Food melted from the intense heat.
By 11:05 a.m., residents were being allowed back in their homes surrounding the blast site.
“After being on scene for a little over two hours, only one fire crew was left on scene to assist Centerpoint Energy.”
“Even though I’m in Maryland at the National Fire Academy, I have been in close contact with command staff in Minneapolis as the incident unfolded this morning,” Minneapolis Fire Chief Alex Jackson said in a press release. He was attending an emergency operations training session, with other city staff members.
- Assignment for Richfield Operations: Richfield Engine 2, Chief 2; Bloomington Engines 1 and 3, Ladder 3 and Chief 1; Edina Engine 81 and Chief 3; MAC Engine 31 and Chiefs 2 and 3
Related:
- Security Camera Video of explosion
- Light ‘like the sun’ rose above blast crater
- Gas Line Explosion at 60th and Nicollet, Highways Closed
- Crews to Spend Night at Blast Site, Investigation Begins
- People forced out, schools locked down after explosion
- Star Tribune Photo Gallery
- Pioneer Press Photo Gallery
Update: Circle Pines Explosion and Fire
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire has an update on Friday’s house explosion and fire in Circle Pines.
The explosion at 12 Circle Dr. was triggered by a gas leak. The blast leveled the one-story home around 1:15 p.m. and damaged a second home.
KSTP is reporting that the explosion was triggered by a gas leak.
Two people have been interviewed about the cause of the fire, Centennial Fire Chief Streich told Twin Cities Fire Wire.
Centennial Engine 11 was first-due and used their deck gun to make the initial attack. Engine 11’s crew deployed large diameter hoselines to protect the home to the east.
The fire was under in 15 minutes, according Streich.
He said “the home to the east sustained damage to its windows and siding due to both the deflagration and the flames.”
Mutual aid was received from the Lexington Fire Department and Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department.
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