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Residents in Massillon evacuated after gas leak

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Posted at 1:43 PM, Feb 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-05 15:33:13-05

MASSILLON, Ohio — Residents in Massillon are allowed back into their homes following an evacuation order after a gas line ruptured across from the Fresh Mark plant, according to Dominion Energy Ohio.

Crews responded after a contractor working on a Dominion Energy Ohio station hit a gas line at around 10:27 a.m. on the south side of Walnut Road SE, across from the Fresh Mark Property.

Authorities evacuated about 30 nearby homes on Huron Road, Mohican Road and Arapahoe Avenue. The evacuation order was lifted around 3 p.m. after Dominion Crews were able to turn off the gas around 2:40 p.m.

No injuries were reported, according to the Massillon fire chief, who added that crews had a difficult time locating the shut-off valve for the 6-inch line.

Dominion Energy crews are now working to repair the line. They are also checking to determine if the incident has affected service to any customers.

Massillon City Schools posted a message to Facebook stating that Franklin Elementary and Washington High School are not in the affected area.

Fresh Mark was not evacuated and sent News 5 the following statement:

Fresh Mark, Inc., has been unaffected by the current gas leak on the opposite side of Richfield Drive from our Massillon facility. Our employees are safe and have not been evacuated. Authorities have communicated to us that it is safe to keep operations running as normal. The safety of our employees is our top priority. We thank all of the personnel who are working to address the ongoing situation.