Downtown Lapeer reopened after gas leak forced residents to evacuate

LAPEER, Mich. (FOX 2) - An evacuation order that was placed on Lapeer after a gas leak has been lifted.

Wednesday morning, investigators discovered gasoline had filled sewer lines in the city. Causing manhole covers to pop off due to the pressure. Residents could hear explosions. Chief Dave Frisch of the police department noted that the quantity of gas has been growing.

"Has been consistently increasing," he said.

However, with gasoline filling the underbelly of the city, investigators were forced to evacuate the city.

"Obviously, should there be some type of spark or something of that nature with the fume concentration that we had there, it could be very serious," said Frisch.

The evacuation was lifted around 5 p.m.. It spanned from the intersection of Saginaw and Nepessing streets, and west through the 400 block of West Nepessing Street.

Investigators haven't been able to identify the source of the gas leak - only that there was in fact one. Evidence of the leak was located south of Nepessing Street at a pump house. There, officials discovered a large concentration of the gas. Private contractors are focusing their efforts in that area, working to keep gas from leaking further into the sewer.