Looking west on Market Street toward Main as fire department hoses leak. —Steve Coulter photo
UPDATE 11:49 — Main and Market Streets are now open.
UPDATE 11:23 — Gas has been turned off, but Main Street is still closed. It is expected to reopen by 11:45.
UPDATE: 10:45 a.m. — Yankee Gas is on scene with supervisors and construction crew. They are looking for shut-off valve. Fire department has been asked to stop hosing operations, so smell of gas may spread to a bit wider area. It has also started to rain.
Thursday, 10 a.m. — Highway workers ruptured a gas line at Main and Market Streets around 9:40 this morning, shutting down the road and prompting an area evacuation.
All buildings within 500 feet of the intersection are being evacuated by order of Fire Chief Heather Burford.
Yankee Gas is reportedly due to arrive by 10:30.
Evacuations included the community center and houses along Main Street and Market Street, as well as part of St. Stephen’s complex.
Here is video of the fire department hosing the gas to break up the vapors:
More video is available on our Twitter feed
The source: A small purge valve accidentally caught and broken by a town highway backhoe working on a drainage project. —Heather Burford photo
Firefighters hosed the gas leak to break up vapors. —Steve Coulter photo