Elk Valley firefighters responded to a gas leak in Hosmer on Wednesday afternoon (June 18).

“A resident on Stephenson Road struck a gas line while using an excavator,” explained Elk Valley & South Country Rural Fire Deputy Chief Ben Goertzen. “We are grateful to the residents of Hosmer for their patience as we kept the area safe.”

Three members from the Hosmer Fire Department and five units from Fortis BC responded.

FortisBC crews responded to the damaged gas main caused by an external party in Hosmer.

Repairs were completed around 6 p.m. on June 17. The fire department was onsite and reduced Stephson Road to one lane while our crews made the necessary repairs to our system. There were 52 customers without gas service.

There were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Stephenson road was shut down for two hours while Fortis BC repaired the gas leak.

Fortis BC thanks residents in the area for their patience as crews worked to complete the necessary repairs safely and as quickly as possible.

“When our system is damaged, there are a number of steps that FortisBC takes to restore service safely and as quickly as possible. Our first job is to make the situation safe and determine the best way to stop the flow of gas due to the damage caused by an external party. As required to start repairs, we’ll need to shut down the affected section of our system. Once we complete repairs and reactivate the impacted portion of the system, our crews restore service by visiting each affected home or business to turn gas back on at the meter and relight all affected appliances,” the company said in a statement to e-KNOW.

“Public and employee safety is a top priority for FortisBC. We would like to remind everyone that if you smell rotten eggs or hear the sound of escaping gas, stop what you’re doing, go outside and dial 9-1-1 or call FortisBC’s 24-hour emergency line at 1-800-663-9911.

“More information on gas safety is available at fortisbc.com. We would also like to remind the public that the majority of damages to our gas system are preventable – always contact BC 1 Call (1-800-474-6886) before digging to gather information on the location of buried gas lines and other utilities. Approximately 90% of damages to our gas lines are preventable by following safe excavation practices.”

Elk Valley & South Country Rural Fire Department photos

e-KNOW

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