Bradenton Propane Leak Discovered Outside Church

BRADENTON, FL — An underground propane tank caused traffic to be rerouted Tuesday outside the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Bradenton.

A spokesperson for the Bradenton Fire Department said the affected area includes 15th Street West between 4th Avenue West and Manatee Avenue West.

"Crews are utilizing a gas burnoff kit which allows for safe removal of gas from the storage tank," the spokesperson said Tuesday. "Due to the quantity of gas in the tank, the operation could continue through the night."

First responders arrived shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday. "The first responding personnel found an actively flowing leak at the tank valve of an abandoned propane tank uncovered by construction workers," the spokesperson said.

AmeriGas and the Southern Manatee Fire Rescue HazMat Team were also on the scene.