Mineola Fire Department volunteers evacuated 22 homes last week Tuesday morning when a gas line was accidentally severed during construction work causing a major gas leak near the intersection of Dow and Sheridan streets in Mineola, Mineola fire department officials said.
Officials said the gas line was cut at approximately 10 a.m. when a contractor for Nassau County, Pratt Brothers, was digging in the street to start work on the county’s part of the flood relief project on the border of Mineola and Carle Place.
“We’ve had gas lines rupture do to construction in the past, but we’ve never had it happen to that extent,” said Mineola Fire Department Chief Jeff Clark.
Clark said it was the first time volunteers in the local fire department had to ventilate or evacuate homes. He said a “substantial” amount of gas had leaked when the firemen arrived on the scene and created a potentially volatile situation.
“There were explosive levels of gas in some of the homes,” Clark said.
Clark said the fire department kept residents cool and hydrated in its vehicles while waiting for National Grid workers to arrive and shut off the gas. Of the 22 houses affected, he said 12 houses showed evidence of gas that had accumulated in the structures.
He said the Mineola Fire Department was assisted by members of the Williston Park Fire Department at the scene.
“We had enough manpower with the help of Williston Park to rotate guys in,” Clark said.
He said the fire departments remained on the scene until the situation was considered resolved at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
Village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss was also on the scene with Thomas Rini, Mineola superintendent of the Department of Public Works.
Strauss praised the fire departments for doing a “superb job” along with the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and National Grid for its prompt response.
“They had a natural gas rupture spewing gas into the atmosphere. They had to ready themselves for the potential for a major explosion,” Strauss said. “It was a great collaborative effort from all ends.”
No injuries were reported. One Mineola firefighter required oxygen on the scene, according to Clark, who said the fireman was affected by the extreme heat.
The $3.4 million flood relief project is a collaborative effort between the village, the county and the Town of North Hempstead to remedy longtime recurrent flooding problems in the area.
