NEW CARLISLE — A building in New Carlisle had to be evacuated after a major gas leak Wednesday.
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The New Carlisle Fire Department is responding to a gas leak in a building in the 400 block of North Main Street, Clark County dispatch confirmed.
Firefighters say inside the building is the New Carlisle BMV, an auto body shop, and a couple of apartments.
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North Main Street was shut down from Lake Avenue to Funston Avenue.
New Carlisle Fire Chief Steve Trusty said the situation had the potential of being “very dangerous” and could have caused an explosion.
“Gas hits a certain range where its flammable, where it would ignite on its own or with a spark,” Trusty said. “We were at that point with the gas, and the only thing we could do at that time was let it burn itself out, let the levels drop.
In total, 16 people had to be evacuated from the area. This allowed crews to vent the building and make sure no one was hurt.
It is currently unclear what caused the leak.
We will continue updating this story as we learn more.