Stinky cloud leaks from Taco Bell after line is broken

MOSES LAKE - A two-inch gas line was broken at the Maiers Rd. Taco Bell in Moses Lake at around 10:30 a.m. Friday, temporarily causing a stir as fire crews and law enforcement arrived on-scene to coordinate traffic and evacuate a nearby hotel. A spokesman for Cascade Natural Gas, which owns and operates the gas line, said that the break was caused by a contractor digging a trench.

The gas line was squeezed-off by the gas company’s crews at around 11 a.m., shutting-off gas to the nearby Fairfield Inn. Fire crews evacuated the inn as a precautionary measure while the broken gas line was removed and replaced. Fire officials said that no other gas customers were affected by the outage and no other building was evacuated.

Crews will test the new line to ensure it can be used safely. Normal gas flow was expected to resume by the end of the day, according to a Cascade Natural Gas spokesman.