Gas Leak Prompts Evacuations in Chelsea

A gas leak prompted evacuations Friday night in Chelsea, Massachusetts, officials said.

Firefighters say National Grid called them for a Level 1 gas leak in the area of 92 Park Street shortly before 9 p.m. Responding crews went through buildings to check readings and found three affected by the gas leak. They evacuated the area and shut the power off.

Those who were forced from their homes on an unusually chilly summer night were taken to a nearby MBTA bus where they were waiting to see when it would be safe to return to their residences.

Fire officials in Chelsea say residents were allowed back in early Saturday morning, with power being restored to the buildings.

Video from the scene shows intense flames shooting out of a manhole. It's not immediately clear what caused the fire to spark, but firefighters say it's essentially a controlled burn after an explosion.

Luckily, no one was hurt.

#developing: Gas leak on Park St in #Chelsea no one hurt accord to firefighters. About a dozen people have been evacuated from their homes. They say they’re not sure what sparked the fire ⁦@NBC10Boston⁩ ⁦@NECN⁩ pic.twitter.com/2CtlDCph8q

— Diane Cho NBC10 Boston (@DianeNBCBoston) July 3, 2021

Police have parts of the area blocked off, as it remains a very active scene.

National Grid is on scene investigating the gas leak and said a cause has not yet been identified.