LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
Just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10, first responders and utility crews responded to reports of a gas leak at the 300 block of E Adams Street in Paris. Residents near the site of the leak were evacuated with the assistance of the Paris Fire Department.
According to Paris Fire Chief Chad Crampton, details surrounding the leak are sparse.
“We’re not sure if it’s a service line or a main that was hit,” Crampton explained.
Currently, utility crews from Ameren are closing in on the source of the leak. Crampton suspects that work crews in the area may have accidentally struck a line somewhere in the neighborhood, causing the leak.
Early estimates of when the leak will be fixed range from three to six hours, per Crampton. Identifying and fixing the leak will require Ameren to cut power to three homes but could eventually require workers to shut down the power main, effectively cutting power to 43 homes in the immediate area.
Time is of the essence for emergency crews – as gas continues to leak into the ground, it can start to spread rapidly.
“The problem with this is gas will start to follow lines underground,” Crampton explained.
As of the release of this article, Crampton advised the Prairie Press that occupants of 307, 308 and 312 E Adams Street as well as 925 and 1001 Wabash Avenue have been cleared to return home.
Anyone displaced by the gas leak should call the Edgar County Sheriff’s Department at 217-465-4166 and speak to an operator to arrange shelter while the leak is being contained.
- 9:15 p.m. -
Paris Fire Chief Chad Crampton has notified The Prairie Press that the leak is stopped and residents may return to their homes. Repairs are expected to continue for some time.
This is an unfolding story. The Prairie Press will provide additional information as it becomes available.