Washington Gas

Natural gas leak to blame for early afternoon street closures in Forest Grove

Forest Grove Fire and RescueForest Grove Fire and Rescue early Thursday afternoon responded to a natural gas leak in the area of 16th Avenue and Birch Street. The leak caused the closure of surrounding streets for about an hour, but no evacuations were necessary.
FOREST GROVE -- Forest Grove Fire and Rescue Thursday afternoon closed down several blocks around the area of 16th Avenue and Birch Street, after a natural gas leak was reported.

At about noon, a contractor repairing a sidewalk in the area picked up a piece of concrete, but then accidentally dropped it on a natural gas line, said David Nemeyer, a Forest Grove fire spokesman. Nemeyer said the leak was fairly significant and that the gas could be seen rising above the trees.

"The good thing is that it was doing that, and it wasn't staying in the neighborhood," he said.

Firefighters along with NW Natural Gas employees assessed the levels of gas in the air, and determined that an evacuation of the area wasn't necessary, Nemeyer said. The gas leak reportedly was shut off within an hour.