Firefighters spent about an hour shutting off a gas leak in the Riverdale Avenue maintenance facility used by Shelton’s propane school buses.
The gas leak was reported about 12:15 p.m. Monday.
Fire Marshal James Tortora said a mechanic was replacing a hose line on a spare bus inside the facility when propane started leaking from it, so he left the building and called the fire department.
About three dozen firefighters from Shelton’s Echo Hose Hook & Ladder, Pine Rock Park, and White Hills volunteer fire companies responded to the scene.
A hazardous materials crew from the Derby fire department responded as well, while Monroe firefighters covered the White Hills firehouse on School Street and Huntington firefighters stood by as well in case additional fire calls came in.
After a United Illuminating crew shut off power in the area, Shelton firefighters sprayed water from two fire hydrants in a “fog pattern” on the bus to ensure the propane would not ignite.
At the same time, members of the Derby hazmat team crawled under the bus to shut off the valve from which the gas was leaking, Tortora said.
The gas leak was stopped about 1:10 p.m. and buses were allowed to leave the property to go on their normal routes soon after, Tortora said. The bus from which propane was leaking was kept at the facility.
No injuries were reported.
Riverdale Avenue was closed to traffic while firefighters were at the scene.
