Gas leak at well pad leads to mandatory evacuations west of Byesville

CAMBRIDGE ‒ Residents living near a drilling site west of Byesville were evacuated Monday evening for several hours after a strong smell of gas was detected in the area.

A report was made to the 911 Dispatch Center at 7:40 p.m. about the gas smell, according to a press release from the Guernsey County Emergency Management Agency.

Byesville Fire Department personnel were dispatched to investigate. On their arrival, the strong odor of natural gas was present, and a leak was found on a drill site near the intersection of Ohio 660 and Pioneer Road. The well owner was immediately notified.

For the safety of the citizens in the area, an evacuation order was put in place by fire department command personnel after determining potentially affected areas, and door-to-door notifications were made by Byesville fire personnel, Guernsey County sheriff's deputies and Ohio Highway Patrol troopers. Public notifications by means such as social media were disbursed by the 911 Dispatch Center.

Roads closed; shelter opened

Road closures of both Ohio 660 and Pioneer Road were also put in place. Byesville Fire Department opened its training building to shelter anyone who was in need during the evacuation timeframe.

A staging area and command post was established onsite for additional personnel and resources including water supply, firefighting foam and hazardous material supplies. Ohio Department of Natural Resources Oil and Gas personnel were notified, as well as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

Once additional personnel and resources arrived in the staging area, an action plan was made, and preparations took place to limit potential ignition until repairs could be made.

At 10:30 p.m., the company operating the site arrived to repair the issue. At 11:30 p.m., the situation was deemed to be contained and at 11:45 the all clear was given to open the roads and remove the evacuation order.

Multiple agencies called to scene

In all, 32 total emergency personnel assisted at the scene, including Byesville Fire Department, Lore City Fire Department, Old Washington Fire Department, Pleasant City Fire Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office, ODNR and Guernsey County Emergency Management Agency. The Ohio Department of Transportation also assisted with the road closures.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Gas leak at well pad leads to evacuations west of Byesville on Monday