Gas leak shuts down West Broadway
Crews with Cascade Natural Gas work to cut off the flow of gas to a building on West Broadway Tuesday afternoon. The leak reportedly filled Metro Appliance to unsafe levels and led to a temporary road closure until the explosion hazard subsided.
MOSES LAKE - Emergency crews diverted traffic after a gas leak filled a building with flammable fumes in downtown Moses Lake Tuesday afternoon.
Moses Lake fire crews responded to the area of West Broadway Avenue and South Beech Street at about 2:30 p.m., where workers with Cascade Natural Gas were already on scene and attempting to stop the flow of gas to Metro TV and Appliance, according to Fire Chief Tom Taylor.
Taylor said a gas line had apparently ruptured in the ally behind the business and filled the building with fumes.
Traffic was diverted around the potential explosion hazard for about a half hour until the line could be crimped and the amount of gas in the building returned to safe levels, Taylor said.
Cascade Natural Gas spokesman Mark Hanson said the rupture was caused when "a resident was doing some work" in the area and cut into the gas line.