Times Leader Staff Writer
SHADYSIDE Jefferson Elementary School and numerous nearby homes were evacuated Tuesday morning following a gas line fire.
A homeowner performing excavation work outside their home struck a gas line around 10 a.m. on Kennedy Lane, according to Shadyside Fire Chief David Lenz. As a result, the excavator and the gas line caught fire.
As a precaution, the fire department immediately evacuated numerous homes located along the lane, along with the elementary school located on Jefferson Ave.
“The Jefferson (Elementary) School is one street down from where the fire was, so being in such close proximity to where it was we thought the best thing to do was to have them evacuate,” Lenz said.