Courthouse evacuated due to suspected gas leak
By SANDRA STONE Around 1 p.m. on April 11, the Meade County Courthouse was evacuated in response to a suspected natural gas leak. The smell of gas was reported in and near the lobby of the Meade County Courthouse, and it was subsequently cleared. “We’re clearing the courthouse for safety’s sake,” said Judge Executive Harry Craycroft as he directed citizens out the doors and away from the building. “We’d rather be safe than go up in smoke.” Louisville Gas & Electric was contacted, and the Meade County Fire Protection District was toned out. Firefighters arrived and began checking the area with a combustible gas meter. About that time, according to Meade County Fire Chief Larry Naser, a deputy said there had been a car leaking gas in the front parking lot earlier in the day. They checked the area and noted between three to five gallons of gasoline had been spilled on the pavement. “We put two and two together and came up with a gasoline leak, rather than a natural gas leak,” said Naser. Apparently, enough of the vapors were wafting toward the courthouse; people noticed the odor and reported it. The firefighters mitigated the gas spill in the parking lot, and life went on. Craycroft was back in his office by 3 p.m, relieved the afternoon’s excitement had been nothing more serious, that no one had been hurt. He said afternoon court was back in session, although some cases had been rescheduled. “Everything’s back to normal,” said Craycroft, “but as LG&E said, it’s better to err on the side of caution, particularly when dealing with gas.” “They did the right thing from a safety standpoint,” said Naser. “If you don’t know, you don’t wait to blow up. You get out of the building.” Click Here to Go Back
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Photo by Sandra Stone