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Firefighters evacuate buildings as gas leak limits access to downtown Sidney

Third Street reopens after closure between Oakville and Bevan
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Sidney fire crews deal with a gas leak, closing Third Street from Oakville to Bevan avenues. (Wolfgang Depner/News Staff)

A gas leak Monday morning reported at 11 a.m. closed off parts of downtown Sidney until 12:30 p.m.

Mike Harman, deputy fire chief with the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department, said crews operating an excavator struck a main gas line in 9700-block of Third Street, which was closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic from Oakville to Bevan avenues for more than an hour.

All 12 workers on the worksite and four individuals from a building to the south were evacuated as well as those at Beacon Inn on the north side of the site, Harman said. Authorities asked residents and businesses of the building opposite of the leak, at 9717 Third St. to shelter in place and keep windows closed. Six businesses closed early for lunch due to the leak.

FortisBC was on scene, working with municipal crews to get closer to the line to shut it off. About 40 customers were without gas as of noon. Some 30 minutes later, crews could be seen leaving the site with affected roads open again.

It was the second struck gas line of the day for Sidney crews as crews had responded to a gas leak on Allbay Road, forcing its closure from Jocelyn Place to Lyme Grove after a line was hit earlier Monday.

READ ALSO: Neighbours help to fight Sidney fire that left mother and son in urgent need


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30361526_web1_220912-PNR-GasLeakDowntown-WD_1
Sidney fire crews deal with a gas leak, closing Third Street from Oakville to Bevan avenues. (Wolfgang Depner/News Staff)
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Sidney fire deals with a gas leak, closing Third Street from Oakville to Bevan avenues. (Wolfgang Depner/News Staff)
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Sidney fire deals with a gas leak, closing Third Street from Oakville to Bevan avenues. (Wolfgang Depner/News Staff) Sidney fire deals with a gas leak, closing Third Street from Oakville to Bevan avenues. (Wolfgang Depner/News Staff)