There was some commotion on the 1000 block of Sturgeon Bay’s N. 5th Avenue Saturday afternoon. Just before 5:00 pm, a homeowner was doing some digging by hand on his property when he accidentally hit a WPS natural gas line near his house. Natural gas was actively leaking and he called 9-1-1. Sturgeon Bay Fire Chief Tim Dietman reports his department sent 2 engines and 4 personnel to the scene. Upon arrival, they blocked off that area of 5th Avenue, evacuated the 2 homes on each side of the gas leak of all occupants and pets, and made sure nearby windows were closed. They secured the scene while WPS arrived and repaired the leak with no further incident and the entire response took approximately 45 minutes. Fire Chief Dietman stressed the importance of calling Diggers Hotline here in Door County………
Fire Chief Dietman informed us that if you are using any digging equipment beyond a hand shovel, you are required to call the Diggers Hotline first, but even if you are digging with just a hand shovel he says it’s still a good idea to find out where the gas lines are just in case. The national Diggers Hotline can be reached by dialing “8-1-1”, or the Wisconsin number is toll free at 1-800-242-8511.
