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The Menzingers headline 5th NEPA Holiday Show Dec. 19 at Scranton Cultural Center; Tigers Jaw, Petal, Captain We’re Sinking, Three Man Cannon and The Sw!ms also performing

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Reaching Beyond Limits enhances quality of life for special needs adults

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; UGI officials say the over-pressurization of a gas line caused 125 residences to be without service in the city&#8217;s Rolling Mill Hill section earlier today.</p><p>Larry Sipsky, an engineer with UGI, said a malfunction at one of UGI&#8217;s facilities caused the issue.</p><p>&#8220;It looks like one of the pieces of equipment at the station that feeds into this area failed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It allowed excess pressure into the system.&#8221;</p><p>It was not immediately clear when service will be restored to customers.</p><p>Stanton Street was closed from Loomis Street to High Street, and traffic on Grove Street was also turned away as firefighters and UGI officials were seen going door to door to have residents evacuate their homes before turning off gas meters.</p><p>Assistant fire chief Edward Snarsky said crews also shut down gas at residences on Cedar Lane, Airy Street and Hawkins Lane.</p><p>Joe Swope, spokesman from UGI, said in a news release customers on Griffith and Lloyds lanes were also affected.</p><p>&#8220;UGI is working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation and restore service,&#8221; Swope said in the news release.</p><p>Fire chief Jay Delaney said Dodson Elementary School officials were advised to shelter in place, even though the school was without heat.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s better to keep all those children in one spot and we&#8217;ll let them out normally,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The smell of natural gas hung heavy in the air as residents gathered outside their homes after being told by emergency responders to stay outside. Some chatted with neighbors, and many said they heard a loud hissing noise and saw smoke in their basements.</p><p>Snarsky said 10 calls for gas leaks that came in at approximately 10 a.m. quickly became 50 or 60 calls. He explained the over-pressurization caused water heaters and furnaces to flash, which caused smoke to fill basements.</p><p>&#8220;We had to treat everything like an actual fire until we could determine that it was otherwise,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The smoke in the basements, Delaney added, could have made an already dangerous situation worse.</p><p>&#8220;This had potential to be a bad event,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Colleen Waldron and her family were enjoying breakfast as they started their day Friday.</p><p>It was at that time Waldron, 52, of Stanton Street, heard an explosion that shook her entire house. Then, she smelled natural gas.</p><p>&#8220;We had no idea what it was from,&#8221; she said. &#8220;All of a sudden, we looked out and here was all the rescue people and all the first responders and everything like that.&#8221;</p><p>Others, like Gail Brodie, chose to stay warm.</p><p>Brodie, 78, was wrapped in a blanket as she sat on her porch. She woke up to the smell of gas, but remembered turning off the stove the night before.</p><p>She then opened the door to her basement and discovered the source of the odor.</p><p>&#8220;The stench was overpowering and I could hear hissing,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Brodie then went outside where she saw others gathered and emergency crews working.</p><p>As she sat outside, she wondered how long it would be until her gas would be turned back on.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just concerning what&#8217;s going to happen, and I&#8217;d like to know how it happened,&#8221; she said.</p><p>By 11:30 a.m., Delaney said the situation was under control and residents were allowed back into their homes. Crews were still making rounds throughout the neighborhood to turn off gas.</p><p>Delaney said UGI administration would arrive at the scene some time in the afternoon to determine when the gas could be turned back on.</p><p>At that time, Delaney said firefighters and UGI officials would again go door to door to make sure no issues arise and to evaluate each furnace.</p><p>Delaney commended the crews for their swift, effective response.</p><p>&#8220;Thankfully, to this point, there&#8217;s been no injuries,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It was managed perfectly.&#8221;</p><p>Check back later at timesleader.com for more information.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre police and fire-fighters were called to Stanton Street in Wilkes-Barre Friday morning after several reports of a gas leak. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_TTL121915gasleak1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre police and fire-fighters were called to Stanton Street in Wilkes-Barre Friday morning after several reports of a gas leak. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_TTL121915gasleak2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A Wilkes-Barre firefighter talks with residents of Stanton Street in Wilkes-Barre to inform them of the situation with a gas leak on their street Friday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_TTL121915gasleak2.jpg</photo1><caption1>A Wilkes-Barre firefighter talks with residents of Stanton Street in Wilkes-Barre to inform them of the situation with a gas leak on their street Friday morning. </caption1><photoCredit1>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_TTL121915gasleak3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Gail Brodie, 78, a resident of Stanton Street, wraps herself with blankets to keep warm after a gas leak reported on her street Friday morning forced residents to evacuate their homes. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_TTL121915gasleak3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Gail Brodie, 78, a resident of Stanton Street, wraps herself with blankets to keep warm after a gas leak reported on her street Friday morning forced residents to evacuate their homes. </caption2><photoCredit2>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

UGI: 125 customers without gas service due to equipment failure