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Gas Leak Evacuations Last 90 Minutes

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 12, 2008

PLANT CITY - About a half-dozen homeowners were allowed to return to their homes about 90 minutes after they were evacuated Monday when a natural gas line ruptured off Sammonds Road.

Central Florida Gas, the company that owns the line, was able to stop the flow of gas shortly after 3 p.m. About 1:30 p.m., A.W. Moore, who operates a dirt, shell, rock and sand storage yard, hit the 6-inch line, leaving it bent and ruptured, authorities said.

Moore was moving dirt on the site he leases from James Brownlee Citrus at 1705 Sammonds Road when his front-end loader struck the pipeline buried about two feet under the soil. The front blade sliced a 10-inch horizontal gash in the pipe causing the massive leak. Moore was able to move the front-end loader away from the area and then exit on foot.

The high-pressure rupture created a roar that could be heard blocks away. Homes were evacuated in the 1600 to 1700 blocks of Sammonds. Plant City Fire Rescue Capt. Stacy Stearns and other firefighters notified homeowners facing Sammonds from the north to leave until the leak was fixed.

A CSX railroad line that often has traffic carrying hazardous material is about 30 feet away from the damaged gas line. A line of oak trees separated the leak from the elevated track at that point.

Barbara Greenway, who lives nearby at 1607 W. Washington St., said she heard a large noise and called authorities.

"I came outside and could smell the gas," Greenway said. "I haven't smelled propane that strong in a long time."

Fortunately for Greenway and others in the area, the gas line did not carry propane.

"This situation was dangerous enough as it was," Plant City Operations Fire Chief Eugene Shuler said. "Had it been propane gas, which tends to stay near the ground, it would have been worse than what we faced. Natural gas is much lighter than air and tends to rise rapidly from its point of origin,"

Winds that blew from east to west at 10 to 20 mph also helped dissipate the gas.

Plant City firefighters wearing protective gear and self-contained breathing equipment measured the amount of gas around the leak at specific distances.

Plant City Fire Rescue Capt. Rick Sullivan coordinated the contacting of emergency responders and utilities companies in the area. Plant City Division Chief David Burnett of contacting homeowners in the area and the roadblocks set up to divert traffic in the danger zone.

Plant City police were also called to keep vehicles out of the area.

During the 90 minutes that the highly flammable gas was blowing freely into the atmosphere, a lightning storm moved through the surrounding area. At the same time, a CSX freight train passed by the leak with 15 ammonia cars attached.

Shuler said he considered the possibility of a lightning strike igniting the leaking gas as the ammonia tanks passed the site.

"Anything is possible," Shuler said. "And we have to take everything into consideration when facing potentially dangerous situations like this.

"Looking at all the possible hazards associated with this incident, we determined that shutting down the railroad was not called for. Safety always comes first, and we determined it was safe to keep the tracks open to operation. We have to consider all the possibilities. But when you consider circumstances that are .0001 percent of happening, you have to go with the best overall decision to operate normally."
Shuler and other members of Plant City Fire Rescue consulted with Hillsborough County hazardous incident team officials at the scene. A six-man crew was sent to examine the leak to determine if the pipe could be capped in place. It was determined that the best way to stop the leak was to have Central Florida Gas personnel shut the flow of gas to the line.

The Central Florida Gas crew closed the valve to the system about 3:05 p.m. Twenty minutes later the company officials at the site declared the area safe.

The line carries natural gas to industrial customers.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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