Lawrence Road Fire Company

Back to June 2007 Noteworthy Incidents

TWO-ALARM NATURAL GAS LEAK

Date & Time: Friday, June 8, 2007 – 9:30 a.m.

Location: Princeton Pike at Franklin Corner Road, Lawrence Township, N.J.

Details: It was 9:21 a.m. when Lawrenceville Fire Co. was dispatched for a natural gas leak. Rescue 23’s crew arrived to find that contractors performing excavation work for the installation of a new water pipeline had accidentally struck and ruptured an underground 8-inch high-pressure gas main running beneath Princeton Pike. Because of the close proximity of the Lawrenceville Nursing Home and several other occupied businesses, Lawrence Road’s Engine 22 and Slackwood’s Snorkel 21 were special-called to the scene at 9:30 a.m. After assessing the situation, firefighters stretched several hoselines from Rescue 23 into a standby position. Engine 22 laid 300 feet of 5-inch hose to a hydrant outside the nursing home to supply Rescue 23. Firefighters in full turnout gear and SCBA were positioned on the hoselines while PSE&G crews worked to shut off the flow of leaking gas. Because the morning’s high heat and humidity made conditions brutal for the firefighters in full gear, additional manpower was called to the scene from Ewing Township's Pennington Road Fire Co. (Rescue 32), Hamilton Fire Co. of Hamilton Township (Engine 14-1), West Windsor Township's Princeton Junction Fire Co. (Engine 44), and Rescue 1, Ladder 1 and Engine 1 from the City of Trenton. Firefighters evacuated the wing of the nursing home closest to Princeton Pike, relocating residents to the opposite side of the building. About a half-dozen people were also evacuated from the nearby Wachovia Bank and the American Cancer Society office building. Princeton Pike was closed to traffic and firefighters and PSE&G utility workers equipped with portable meters were positioned inside the buildings to monitor air quality. Fresh crews were rotated to man the hoselines about every 15 minutes. It took more than 90 minutes for the damaged line to be capped and the gas leak stopped, but ultimately there were no injuries and no damage to the surrounding property. Engine 22 was back in quarters by 11:23 a.m. During the incident, Hamilton Fire Co’s Ladder 14 and Princeton Engine Co. #1’s Engine 61 stood by at the Lawrence Road firehouse and actually took in a fire alarm activation at Lawrence High School. Lawrence Road Ff. Charles Commini Sr. rode along with Engine 61 to the fire alarm to serve as a pilot and guide.

Responding LRFC Personnel

Engine 22