January 28, 2016 - Workers cutting into the concrete at the intersection of Riggs Street and Shelbyville Street managed to cut a gas line and ignite leaking natural gas on Thursday, January 28, 2016. The Center Fire Department was dispatched to the scene just before 11am and when they arrived, flames were catching a utility pole just near the leak.
Water was being put onto the fire by the workers who cut the pipe until the firemen arrived. The firemen quickly worked to extinguish the flames on the utility pole to prevent further damage to the pole and utility lines. Fire continued to burn the excess gas off as it exited the leak while water was continuously applied to the flames to prevent them spreading anywhere else.
As the firemen worked, Center Police Officers blocked both ends of Shelbyville Street from Riggs Street to Newman Street and redirected traffic off Shelbyville Street.
Once Centerpoint Energy arrived on the scene, the firemen were given the go ahead to fully extinguish the flames while a crew was en-route to repair the line. The Center Fire Department returned to the station at 1:10pm once the Centerpoint Energy crew arrived and determined the assistance of the fire department was no longer necessary.
Employees at a nearby business stated the initial ignition of the gas sounded like a "volcano erupted;" however, they believed the noise was a large piece of equipment on the roadway until it was discovered the gas was on fire.
Time to completion of the repair is uncertain at this time. A gas line was hit at the end of Nacogdoches Street on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at around 1:45pm by the same work crew and the Center Fire Department was also dispatched to that leak. The workers confirmed to Shelby County Today they were attempting to construct a sidewalk ramp leading to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
Nacogdoches street was closed off until the repair could be completed, which wasn't until 8pm Wednesday evening.
The project which the workers are currently in progress with is a $1 million TxDOT project covering the installation of handicap ramp and sidewalk improvements in the City of Center in areas which have already been prioritized by the Center City Council or Street Economic Development Corporation.
