Falling Icicle Causes Gas Leak; Cedar Rapids Apartment Complex Evacuated

By Jeff Raasch

Remnants of a large icicle remain near where it broke off the head of the gas regulator and caused a gas leak at a Windsor on the River apartment building at 1906-1908 Buckingham Dr. NW, this morning, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010. About half of the 18-unit complex was evacuated before the gas was shut off. (Jeff Raasch/The Gazette)

Tools

By Richard Pratt

Story Created: Feb 24, 2010 at 9:26 AM CST

Story Updated: Feb 24, 2010 at 9:28 AM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Damage caused when a huge icicle fell from a roof led to a gas leak at a Cedar Rapids apartment complex this morning, officials said.

Firefighters responded to the Windsor on the River apartment building at 1906-1908 Buckingham Dr. NW around 7:15 a.m. for a smell of natural gas. Crews found a strong odor inside one of the aparments.

About half the residents of the 18-unit building were evacuated for about 40 minutes until the gas was turned off.

Battalion Chief John Pulver said gas monitors did not detect enough gas to cause an explosion, but the evacuations were ordered as a precaution.

Crews soon found the cause of the leak outside, at the back of the building. The falling icicle - one chunk of it was about 20 pounds - broke off a head on the gas regulator, Pulver said.

A MidAmerican Energy employee called to the scene said the incident is not common, but does happen occasionally.

"It's kind of a unique deal," Pulver said. "I've never seen it do something like that."

Next Article Steel Rising From The Ground at Cedar Rapids’ New Convention Center

Conversation Guidelines

Be Kind

Don't use abusive, offensive, threatening, racist, vulgar or sexually-oriented language.
Don't attack someone personally. Keep it civil and be responsible.

Share Knowledge

Be truthful. Share what you know and what you are passionate about.
What more do you want to learn? Keep it simple.

Stay focused

Promote lively and healthy debate. Stay on topic. Ask questions and give feedback on the story's topic.

Report Trouble

Help us maintain a quality comment section by reporting comments that are offensive. If you see a comment that is offensive, or you feel violates our guidelines, simply click on the "x" to the far right of the comment to report it.

read the full guidelines here »

Commenting will be disabled on stories dealing with the following subject matter: Violent crime, sexual abuse, Amber Alerts, Operation Quickfinds and suicides.