Gas Leak Causes Evacuation

Gulfport Fire Chief James Marenkovic says a contractor was power washing the Avalon building at Town Shores Monday afternoon when the operator lifted the crane and landed on top of the building's gas meter, causing a "fairly large leak."

Marenkovic says the crane struck the regulator, and "we had free flowing gas."

The Gulfport Fire Department, members of the South Pasadena Fire Department, St. Petesburg Fire and Rescue and TECO gas responded to the leak.

Officials evacuated residents in the Avalon and Barclay buildings until the leak was contained. Marenkovic says that about 20 residents were evacuated to the nearby Jamison building while others left in their vehicles. No one was injured.

The evacuation was at about 2:15 p.m. People were allowed to return to their homes about 30 minutes later.

The Chief says more people would have been evacuated if the leak had not been stopped.

"We got it stopped mid-evacuation," he said.

He estimates that the leak was contained between 10 and 20 minutes after the meter was broken.

While responding to the leak and evacuating residents, emergency officials blocked off both lanes of 58th St. S. and streets inside the Town Shores complex for about 30 minutes.