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WILKES-BARRE — Reports of a gas leak briefly brought a Wilkes-Barre street to a close Tuesday.
According to Wilkes-Barre Assistant Fire Chief Ed Snarski, fire crews were called to 169 Scott St. around noon after a UGI worker alerted them to a potentially hazardous gas leak.
Snarski said that the UGI employee detected high LEL (lower explosive limit) levels in the home, which means the gas could have produced an explosion if it was exposed to an ignition source.
UGI quickly turned off gas to the home. Meanwhile, work had to be halted at a home being demolished next door at 171 Scott St. until UGI could determine if there was any residual gas.
Snarski said that it did not seem as though the demolition directly caused the gas leak, but it may have been a contributing factor.
“It’s possible it’s a total coincidence,” Snarski said. “Or some of the vibrations from the demolition may have just tipped an appliance that was just short of malfunctioning.”