Natural Gas Leak Prompts Early-Morning Evacuations

A natural gas leak prompted Lawrence Township firefighters and police officers to evacuate residents from about a half-dozen homes in the 4300 block of Province Line Road early this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The leak was stopped and residents allowed to return to their homes after about an hour, officials said, noting that there were no injuries or significant property damage reported.

It was shortly before 2:45 a.m. when township emergency personnel were alerted that natural gas was leaking from a high-pressure line that had somehow broken away from the gas meter on the exterior of one on the houses located along Province Line Road between Princeton Pike and Stratford Drive.

“I could smell it as soon as I turned the corner from Princeton Pike and opened my window on Province Line Road. It was a very strong smell of gas,” said Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co. Deputy Chief Gary Wasko.

A distinctive hiss of escaping gas could be heard as well when he arrived on the scene, Wasko said.

With natural gas flooding the neighborhood from the broken line, township police officers and volunteer firefighters from the Lawrenceville, Slackwood and Lawrence Road fire companies hurriedly evacuated residents from the home where the leak was located and from several neighboring houses as well, Wasko said.

He said evacuated residents were relocated, in their personal vehicles, to a safe area on Stratford Drive.   

In an effort to deprive the gas of a possible ignition source, a Public Service Electric & Gas Co. worker quickly removed the home’s electrical meter.

Firefighters deployed precautionary hoselines and stood ready to act while PSE&G personnel worked to stop the leak. Utility workers were eventually able to temporarily plug the broken line and halt the gas flow, Wasko said.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes once the gas had dissipated and the scene was declared safe, he said, adding that PSE&G personnel planned to work with the property owners to conduct a full investigation of how the leak occurred and to also make permanent repairs.