Homes evacuated, schools 'shelter in place' after car damages gas meter

Emergency services responding after a car struck a home and damaged a gas meter on Vermont Avenue in London, Ont. on June 20 2022. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

Emergency responders received numerous 911 calls reporting a large bang and a hissing sound around 9:15 a.m. on Monday.

"I was standing at King Edward [Avenue] and Vermont [Avenue] when I heard a loud bang," said Lisa Alain.

She knew right away what had been hit, saying, "The car had hit the house and it was smelling of gas."

That car had almost completely sheered off the natural gas meter that sits along the driveway of a home at 406 Vernon Ave.

London police closed off the street and helped London fire evacuate some homes near leak.

The fire department also ordered a shelter-in-place for others homes in the neighbourhood, with a significant amount of gas releasing into the air. A school in the area was also asked to keep children in and close all windows.

"We want to make sure that everyone's safe," said London fire Platoon Chief Colin Shewell. "Out of an abundance of caution we did put the school under a shelter in place and the neighbours here are sheltered in their homes."

The other complicating factor is that there was more than one line that had to shut off before people could be allowed back in.

Gas lines feeding the area were closed off and people have seen been allowed back into their homes with the shelter-in-place orders being lifted.

The investigation into the collision continues.