Repairs Underway After Gas Leak Prompts Evacuation

BRICK, NJ — Repairs are under way after a natural gas leak in the area of Cherokee Lane led to the evacuation of several homes Friday morning, Brick Township police said.

New Jersey Natural Gas told police the leak, in front of 314 Cherokee Lane, is expected to take 6 to 8 hours to repair, Brick Police Sgt. Neal Pedersen said Friday afternoon. Gas service in the area is shut off while the repairs are being done, he said.

Police were called to the 300 block of Cherokee Lane for the gas leak shortly before 10:30 a.m., Pedersen said. Cherokee Lane is off Princeton Avenue, just east of Windward Beach Park.

Police determined that dangerously high levels of natural gas were detected in the area of Cherokee Lane and Seminole Lane, and the township's fire companies as well New Jersey Natural Gas were called in, Pedersen said, along with the township's Office of Emergency Management and the Brick Township Police EMS.

Homes on Cherokee Lane, Seminole Lane, Island Drive, Iroquois Drive and Deerfoot Lane were evacuated by firefighters and the EMS squad, he said.

Firefighters from the Silverton, Point Boro and Point Beach fire companies assisted to help cover the township while evacuations were taking place, Pedersen said, and a command post was set up at the Windward Tavern parking lot with Chief James Riccio coordinating the operation with Police, Fire, EMS and OEM.

The cause of the leak is not known at this time, he said, and there were no injuries. It was not immediately known how many homes were affected.

Last Saturday, a natural gas leak prompted the evacuation of 40 homes in the Lake Riviera section for about 4 hours as dangerous levels of gas were found in storm drains in the area of Tennessee and Vermont avenues. No one was injured in that incident, police said.

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