Natural Gas line accidentally cut in downtown Kent

Kent, Wash – March 23, 2019 – At 10:00 AM workers were putting in fence posts and accidentally hit a gas line with their post hole digger at the 200 block of Saar.

Fire Engine 71 arrived and could hear the gas leak and upgraded the call to have the Hazardous Response Team from Station 76 respond. District 7 set up a safety perimeter which included closing 2ndAve S. from Saar to Titus and had people in the immediate vicinity evacuated.

Puget Sound Energy arrived and were able to close off the leaking line in a timely manner and will be repairing the line this afternoon.

The building closest to the leak was checked by the Hazardous Materials crew and all readings were within normal limits.

Most residents do not realize the gas line is the closest utility to the surface of the ground and so Puget Sound Fire and PSE would like to remind you to call 811 before you dig.