COLUMBUS, Ind.–A gas leak at a Fourth Street tavern shut down an area of downtown Columbus Saturday morning. Capt. Mike Wilson of the Columbus Fire Department says that employees from a neighboring business arrived at work at approximately 8:30 a.m., and noticed a strong gas odor in the store.
Emergency crews were called and firefighters determined there was a major gas presence in the building. Surrounding structures were evacuated and gas meters were shut off until the leak could be located. The search was eventually narrowed to The Columbus Bar, where it was determined that an oven had been left on overnight, dispensing natural gas into the air. The oven was turned off and the bar ventilated, leading to a safe resolution to a potentially dangerous situation. CFD reopened the downtown area around 10:20 a.m.