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HAMBURG - A portion of downtown Hamburg was evacuated for more than two hours Sunday after a gas leak was discovered near the Hamburg Antique Mall.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reported the owner of the antique mall, Glen Finnel, notified authorities about a strong odor of natural gas in his building at 7:50 p.m. Reports indicated Finnel said the odor was so strong that “when he opened his door it made his eyes water.”
Service technicians with Black Hills Energy advised the evacuation of one block of adjacent buildings, in the 1000 block of Main Street, including the Harvest Restaurant, the Hamburg Antique Mall and the Hamburg newspaper office.
High levels of natural gas were detected inside the antique mall and the newspaper’s office, as well as seeping from the ground by the gas meters.
An underground leak was discovered and repaired. Residents were allowed to return to the area after 2½ hours, according to the sheriff’s office.
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