PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A gas leak shut down a mile stretch of Port St Lucie Boulevard Wednesday afternoon.
Port St. Lucie Police Department and St. Lucie County Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene at 3:13 p.m. after they say a construction crew damaged a gas line.
The incident caused first responders to ask people and nearby businesses to take shelter inside.
"I was at work all day and as I was coming home I saw the road was blocked off," said Matthew Jackson who lives near the gas leak. "Normally I just go to Publix, get dinner, come home sit at the house with the dog and the girlfriend."
For safety police blocked off a mile of road from Darwin Avenue through Alcantarra Boulevard.
"If I was the house right next to the gas leak, you know all of the sudden, I'd be turning appliances off," said Jackson.
WPTV was told FDOT crews were working on a road-widening project when they hit the gas pipe.
"So we responded with 4 fire engines today along with a Hazmat response to the emergency scene that's behind us right now," said Daniel Mikels, Battalion Chief for St Lucie County Fire District.
St Lucie Fire says the leak was natural gas, which is flammable, and had crews on scene monitoring the air levels.
"So this is a little easier for us to deal with than propane, but it is a hazardous substance, it's colorless and so that makes it even more unsafe for the public," said Mikels.
While crews said the surrounding area was safe, they worked into the night to seal the leak.
"Having the traffic shut down and now allowing them to come into a potentially adverse environment that's really what it's for. I get the inconvenience but that's only for our safety and their safety as well," said Mikels.
Residents did not have to evacuate any homes near the leak.
Update as of 7:35pm - Florida City Gas and the SLCFD continue to work on capping the damaged gas line at this time. The roadway remains closed until further notice. https://t.co/ETMIrlvvjc
— Port St. Lucie PD (@PSLPolice) June 29, 2022