Gas Main Ruptured on Red Bush Lane

Milford Fire Department units were dispatched to Red Bush Lane in the area of Swanson Drive around 9am Monday on reports of a large natural gas leak. Arriving units found a 4 inch high pressure gas main which had been accidentally ruptured when a large piece of rock fell on the line from a construction crew working in the area. Gas was actively leaking from the damaged gas main. Red Bush Lane was shut down and area houses were evacuated as a precaution.

Captain Chris Zak, the department spokesman said, "As a precaution, we did put some hose lines in place in case we did have ignition. And we evacuated and also metered some of those houses to make sure there was no gas inside."

Crews with the Southern Connecticut Gas Company arrived on scene a short time later and shut down the gas to the area and began repairs on the ruptured gas main. No injuries were reported and people were allowed back into their houses shortly after the leak had been stopped. Gas service has been interrupted to several houses in the area while the repairs are made.

Fire in house quickly extinguished

Milford Fire units were able to quickly extinguish a fire in a multi-family dwelling on East Broadway today. The fire was reported by neighbors shortly before noon. On scene units ventilated heavy smoke from the rear of the structure. The fire was brought under control in less than a half hour after the first units arrived on scene. Everyone was able to exit safely and no injuries were reported.

Car crashes into building injuring 8 people

At 1515 hrs, the Milford Fire Department Emergency Operations center began receiving numerous 911 phone calls reporting that a car had crashed into a building and numerous people where injured. Dispatchers quickly began to assemble necessary information and dispatched Engines 1, 3, 4, Tower 1, Rescue 2 and the Shift Commander. Because of the possibility of a weakened structure the Department’s Technical Rescue Unit 234 was also dispatched.

On arrival FD units found a car that had crashed into the building of Sun Nails at 489 Bridgeport Avenue. The FD personnel quickly began to triage occupants inside the structure and had determined that there were a total of 8 patients. Additional Fire Department units were called to the scene to assist in treating the numerous patients. Because of the amount of serious patients, a Mass Casualty Incident was transmitted.

The Milford Fire Department has since cleared the scene and a total of 8 patients were transported to area hospitals. Four of these patients were given advanced life support on the scene by Fire Department Paramedics and the others received Basic Life Support care. Personnel from the Milford Building Department were on scene to assess the structural stability.

There was concern with the vehicle overloading the structural components and causing a collapse.