Mason County Gas Line Rupture Contained, Officials Say
Mason County Emergency Management says a large Mountaineer Gas line rupture near Casto Road and Kapp Ridge, southwest of Ripley, has been contained. There is no timeline yet for restoring service.
A large natural gas line ruptured Saturday evening in Mason County, drawing emergency crews to a rural stretch near Casto Road and Kapp Ridge, southwest of Ripley.
Mason County Emergency Management said the break was on a Mountaineer Gas line. Officials advised people in the area to stay in a safe place and to extinguish any outdoor burns. Traffic was kept out of the area while crews sized up the scene.
Mountaineer Gas workers were on site Saturday evening evaluating the rupture. Later Saturday, Mason County Emergency Management said the emergency had been contained.
There is not yet a timeline for when service will be restored.
A call like this gets everyone's attention in a hurry, and for good reason. Natural gas can travel along the ground and settle in low spots, and an open flame or an outdoor fire nearby is a risk emergency managers take seriously. That is why officials asked neighbors to put out outdoor burns and stay put until the scene was under control.
Casto Road and Kapp Ridge sit in the hills of Mason County, just southwest of Ripley. It is the kind of rural stretch where a closed road can mean a long detour, and where neighbors look out for one another when something like this happens on a Saturday night.
Emergency officials have not released additional details about what caused the rupture, how many customers may be without service, or whether anyone was hurt. Those answers may come as Mountaineer Gas finishes its evaluation and repair work.
If you live near the scene, keep following guidance from Mason County Emergency Management and Mountaineer Gas. Stay clear of the closed area until officials say the road is open again, and treat any lingering gas odor as a reason to leave and report it rather than going to look for yourself.
If you smell gas inside your home, leave immediately, avoid using light switches or anything that could create a spark, and call 911 or Mountaineer Gas from a safe location.
West Virginia Pulse will update this story if officials release more information about repairs or when service is expected to return.
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