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Gas leak call leads to unrelated carbon monoxide discovery

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Fort Dodge Firefighters Bryce Hamilton, left, and Matt Newton speak with a MidAmerican Energy worker Wednesday in the area of a ruptured gas line in the area of 14th Avenue South and South 25th Street. An unrelated carbon monoxide leak was also detected.

What started as a call about a ruptured gas line ended with firefighters discovering a house in the area had an unrelated carbon monoxide leak.

The initial call about the ruptured gas line came in around 3 p.m. Wednesday in the area of South 25th Street and 14th Avenue South.

Fort Dodge Fire Department Capt. Steve Teske said Rasch Construction Inc. was working on a road project on South 25th Street. Before crews started digging, they had located a residential gas service line that was 3 feet below the surface of the street.

But according to Teske, that line apparently came up and part of it was 10 inches below the surface of the street.

As they were tearing up the road, the line was broken.

Teske said it was not Rasch’s fault, as the information they had about the street did not indicate the line moved that way.

The line that was hit only served one house in the area, and Teske said firefighters and MidAmerican Energy employees were able to get the line clamped down fairly quickly.

But as firefighters went door-to-door to see if the gas seeped into any houses, they discovered that one of them had a carbon monoxide leak.

Teske said the Fire Department’s equipment registered the level of carbon monoxide at 30 ppm.

Since MidAmerican Energy was already on scene to assist with the gas leak, they were able to get inside the home and stop the leak inside.

Teske said the carbon monoxide leak had no connection to the gas line rupture, and he referred to it as a coincidence.

He added that Rasch Construction and MidAmerican would have to consult on how to proceed with the project.

The Fort Dodge Police Department was also on scene.

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