Nov. 20--Crowds gathered on Main Street in downtown Lewiston Monday afternoon to watch 100-foot-high flames roil behind the Lewiston Tribune building after a natural gas line erupted on the Fifth Street renovation project.
No one was seriously injured in the explosion, a fact Lewiston Fire Department Battalion Chief Travis Myklebust said was "beyond lucky."
"Praise God no one was hurt," said Dan Rudolph, owner of Rudolph's Auto Service, located near the explosion. "It was a little tense, but the fire department got it knocked down pretty quickly."
The Lewiston Tribune, the Capital Financial Center and surrounding buildings were evacuated while crews worked to put out the wall of flame. The explosion and line break, later determined to have been caused by a backhoe operator, ruptured a 4-inch natural gas line and cut power to more than 800 customers.
Mike Tatko, Avista's Lewiston-based business manager, said three gas lines that serve the surrounding area where the explosion occurred were shut off within 20 minutes of the 1:35 p.m. fire. The fire was out by 2:14 p.m.
About 862 Avista electric customers lost power following the incident because of a nearby power pole fire. Power surged at the Nez Perce County Courthouse, and flickered at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Hospital spokesman Bert Sahlberg said the radiation oncology clinic was forced to close early because of power outage issues. All electricity was restored by 4 p.m.
While most businesses escaped the blaze, Myklebust said a warehouse next to the Great Northern Railroad tracks sustained some fire damage. The train track's signals also went up in flames.
The Nez Perce County Sheriff's Office reported fiber-optic links had been severed from the explosion, breaking the link to their partner office in Boise and shutting down their ability to issue driver's licenses, identification cards or testing services. The driver's licensing office will be closed until further notice.
The sheriff's office also said non-emergency telephone access may be intermittent, and Sheriff Dale Buttrey advised the public to keep trying the line if their first attempt is unsuccessful. Emergency telephone systems were not affected, according to the sheriff's office.
Police said traffic in the area was diverted for a short period of time while the fire was contained and the gas line was turned off. Some roads including the Lewiston Levee Bypass were also closed for a period of time, but all were reopened by Monday evening.
Tatko said work will likely begin today to repair the gas line and determine if the power pole must be replaced. He said the utility will also continue to work closely with those involved in the construction project to prevent such an incident from happening again.
"We work very closely with contractors and we worked very closely with the city and the contractor on this project," Tatko said, "and so we continue to work closely with the public and with contractors to ensure that people are digging safely."
Laura Von Tersch, community development director for the city of Lewiston and administrator for the Lewiston Urban Renewal Agency, attributed in part the error that caused the explosion to the quality of mapping used for the construction project.
Tatko said anyone getting ready to dig or in the process of digging is encouraged to dial 811 two working days in advance to determine if they could potentially hit a natural gas line.
Moseley may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2270.
Copyright 2012 - Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
