Propane Leak Brings Evacutations, Road Closure

    CR 450W (Ocala Street) was closed for parts of Monday evening as emergency responders managed a propane gas tank leak near the intersection of Ogden Avenue. No injuries or damage was reported, but the road was closed for nearly two hours as responders ‘burned off’ leaking gas.
    The incident began around 6 p.m., when a property owner became aware that a large propane tank behind his house was leaking after a recent fill. The odor of the gas led to a response from Umatilla and Lake County fire units, as well as Umatilla Police. The home and surrounding area was evacuated for precautionary measures including residents in a home next door.
    Hazardous material responders undertook the delicate process of burning off the gas.
    “We moved the tank from the house and hooked a hose to the tank,” said Umatilla Fire Chief Shane Lanoue. “We fed it to a stand about 100 feet away.” That stand provided a safe spot to burn off the gas, with a flame several feet high shining through the early evening air for an estimated 1.5 hours.
    Lanoue said there were no injuries and no property damage from the incident, and the tank had been removed by the servicing propane company.