Firefighters Rush To Gas Leak Reported At Home Under Construction: FD

CUTCHOGUE, NY — The Cutchogue Fire Department responded Wednesday to a gas leak at a home under construction on Nassau Point Road.

According to the CFD, the incident took place at 8:15 a.m.; upon arrival, Chiefs discovered a ruptured propane tank servicing the home.

Contractors using heavy equipment had run over the tank's cover, severing the gas line and causing propane "to leak uncontrollably into the air," the CFD said.

Police and fire personnel were able to quickly shut down the roadway and divert traffic away from the scene while the first unit arrived and staged at a safe location, officials said.

Firefighters deployed hand lines to help disperse the gas away from the nearby home, the CFD said.

At first, firefighters were unable to turn off the gas; Van Duzer Gas Services in Southold were notified and responded, eventually shutting off the gas and controlling the leak, the CFD said.

An additional crew of firefighters checked the neighboring homes to ensure that there were no other dangers resulting from the leak, the CFD said.

However, due to the damage to the tank, the gas company also had to safely remove any remaining gas in the tank; a controlled burn was set using a burn off kit designed for that purpose, the CFD said.

Crews were at the scene for more than three hours before Nassau Point was reopened to normal traffic, the CFD said.

Representatives from Van Duzer Gas Services, the CFD and the Southold Town fire marshal remained at the scene and routinely monitored the situation over the course of the day as the process continued, the CFD said.

In addition, also on Wednesday, the CFD volunteers responded to an additional fire alarm on Nassau Point Road, officials said.

"The Chiefs and officers of CFD would like to thank Van Duzer Gas and their staff for their timely response and expertise in helping us mitigate a dangerous situation," the CFD said.