Wilkes-Barre, PA – A natural gas leak in the city’s Heights section Tuesday afternoon led to the evacuation of a dozen homes and forced crews to turn off power to a large swath of the city to avoid a possible explosion, Fire Chief Jay Delaney said.
The leak was first reported near 182 S. Meade St.
One person was taken to the hospital as a precaution as a result of the gas leak, Delaney said.
UGI Natural Gas crews responded to the scene while PPL Electric crews shut down a large portion of the area’s electrical grid, affecting some of the downtown and areas as far away as Laurel Run.
Due to the volatility of the natural gas, PPL had to shut off the power. Unfortunately, a large grid was turned off, Delaney said.
By 1:45 p.m., the power outage was smaller with the perimeter being East South, South Empire, and East Northampton streets and Park Avenue. At that time, over 1,250 customers were still without power.
The nearby Little Flower Manor nursing home lost power and residents sheltered in place, Delaney said. The adjacent St. Therese Residence senior living center maintained power using a generator, he said.
A news release sent by the city Tuesday afternoon reported traffic lights along Wilkes-Barre Boulevard were not working due to power being shut off.
Non-functioning traffic lights are to be treated as stop signs, per state law, the news release reminded people.
The gas leak was under control as of about 2:30 p.m., according to a news release from the city.
City firefighters and representatives of UGI were using meters to evaluate gas emissions and ensure the neighborhood is safe, the news release said.