Hagerstown Fire Battalion Chief Mark Cleck provided details on a recent incident that occurred near Antietam Broadband in the town of Hagerstown. An electrical contractor was working behind the cable and internet provider’s building when he accidentally struck a gas line, resulting in a fire outside the building. The gas line was ruptured around 11:30 a.m., and there was no shutoff valve nearby, so a Columbia Gas crew had to dig in the grass off Willow Circle to clamp the line off. It took about 5 minutes for the remaining gas to burn off, and the fire was extinguished by 12:40 p.m.
During the incident, Hagerstown Fire Department firefighters hosed down the nearby Antietam Broadband building and grass to keep them cool while the fire burned. The fire was left to burn until it had run out of gas from the leak. The gas line was located in a trench about 2 to 3 feet deep, and the flames were less than 10 feet high, according to Cleck. The cable company was evacuated for over an hour during the incident.
In other news, a Hagerstown man has been charged after making threats to blow up the Maryland MVA. The man’s identity has not been released at this time, but authorities are investigating his actions thoroughly. No one was injured in either incident, but it serves as a reminder of how important it is to be cautious when working with potentially hazardous materials like gas lines and explosives.
