City firefighters responded to 13 Chestnut St. after the odor of gas was reported in the basement. They discovered the strong smell of gasoline and are checking for the source. Neighbors are asked to check their basements, too, and the responders will be "popping some manholes" to check for the source of gasoline.
UPDATE 6:47 p.m.: Command on scene tells a dispatcher "We're going to need to have someone from Waste Management notified. We have the strong odor of gasoline in the sanitary sewer here."
UPDATE 7:13 p.m.: A caller reports the smell of gasoline "flooding the basement and making alarms go off" at 129 Liberty St., which isn't far from the Chestnut Street incident. City fire is responding and the first platoon is called to stand by in headquarters.
UPDATE 8:11 p.m. (by Howard): Spoke with Capt. Bob Fix at the scene. The resident at 13 Chestnut came home to the smell of gas in the house. It was coming up through the drainpipe and seems to have originated in the sewer system. There's no indication how gas might have gotten into the sewer system. "Even a small cup (of gasoline)" could have caused the odor, Fix said. A wastewater crew is responding to the scene to flush the system. Residents on Chestnut are being asked to run a little water down their drains to clear out their own systems. There's no present danger. The call on Liberty was unrelated and the result of a faulty detector. The first and third platoons have been called in to fill in at the Fire Hall with two city trucks tied up on Chestnut until the sewer is flushed. Chestnut is closed to vehicle traffic until crews have completed their work.
UPDATE 9:11 p.m.: City assignment back in service.
