According to a release from Fort Dodge Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter, fire and EMS crews were dispatched to 15 N. 12th St. shortly after 4 p.m. on Sunday for a reported odor of gas. When crews arrived, their gas detection equipment found “significant levels” of gas in the building, which houses Collections Antiques Store. Gas was also detected in storm sewers in the area.

MidAmerican Energy was then dispatched and determined the source of the gas was an underground leak.

The process to locate the site of the leak continued overnight, with Fort Dodge Public Works closing the streets surrounding North 12th Street between Central Avenue and Second Avenue North. Electrical power to the buildings was also disconnected.

Fort Dodge Fire Department crews were on scene until 1:30 a.m. Monday.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
MidAmerican Energy Co. crews were brought in to dig through concrete to locate the source of a major gas leak in the intersection of First Avenue North and North 12th Street on Monday.

Six hours later, an explosion and fire were reported in the strip mall at 23-33 N. 12th St., on the same block as the original gas leak report. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the building and mounted an “aggressive interior fire attack” with two hose lines.

The strip mall is a 7,000-square-foot building that contains three retail businesses and two occupied apartments. Three occupants of the apartments were able to escape the fire without injuries prior to the crew’s arrival.

Hergenreter lauded the efforts of his firefighters during Monday night’s City Council meeting.

“While the gas was still on, without hesitation they went in, extinguished the fire and searched for people,” he said.

The fire crews knocked down the fire and contained it to the one building, Hergenreter said, though the source of the gas leak was still unknown.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert MidAmerican Energy Co. crews responded to a major gas leak at the intersection of First Avenue North and North 12th Street late Sunday afternoon, and were still on scene working to repair the problem on Monday.

“MidAmerican turned off natural gas service to 30 businesses and residential customers in the area to ensure there was no longer a threat due to gas,” said Geoff Greenwood, media relations manager for MidAmerican.

According to Hergenreter, the concrete and frozen ground at the site complicated the efforts to locate the gas leak, but it was finally found and isolated around noon Monday.

Monday’s explosion at 22-33 N. 12th St. was caused by the failure of a two-inch gas main located underneath North 12th Street, an investigation by the Fire Department and MidAmerican determined. The leaking gas had migrated underground and into the building, where it was ignited by an unknown cause, creating the explosion and fire.

The Fort Dodge Police Department also assisted with the situation.

The building at 22-33 N. 12th St. is owned by NYC Mart Inc., of Fort Dodge, according to the Webster County Assessor’s website. The businesses located in the building include Highway 20 Liquor Vape & Tobacco, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Fade Designz barbershop and DG Construction.