Evacuation order lifted after natural gas leak in Lavington

UPDATE–10P.M. DISTRICT OF COLDSTREAM–The evacuation of residents in a section of the Lavington area of Coldstream has been lifted, following disruption of natural gas service this morning when a motor vehicle struck a high-pressure natural gas line.

The Emergency Operations Centre will be standing down unless conditions warrant.

Lavington residents can now return home.

Highway 6  is single-lane alternating traffic.

Once the damaged pipeline is repaired, it is reactivated and FortisBC then
revisits each customer to restore service to the meter and relight each natural gas appliance in
the home.  This may not be complete until Saturday evening.

UPDATE–Drive BC is now reporting that Highway 6 is open to single lane, alternating traffic.  Fortis BC says about 1200 homes are still without natural gas as repairs are being made.  When repairs are complete, they will attend each home to relight all natural gas appliances.  This work should be complete by Saturday evening.

LAVINGTON – Dozens of residents remain out of their homes hours after a major natural gas leak in the small community of Lavington, east of Vernon.

Around 9 a.m., police responded to a report of a single vehicle accident.   Officials with the District of Coldstream say the vehicle hit a high pressure gas line on Highway 6 near Park Lane.  That section of highway remains closed and traffic is being detoured around the area.

The incident also caused a power outage.  Eight hundred customers were initially impacted.  Three hundred customers are still without electricity.

About 65 homes within 300 metres of the crash have been evacuated.  A reception centre has been set up for the evacuees at the Coldstream Women’s Institute on Kalamalka Road.

No details have been released about the car accident or whether any injuries are involved.