Gas leak forces evacuation in Mosquito Flats neighborhood; frigid weather continues

Winter arrived in Columbia Falls over the weekend, but the predicted blizzard didn’t drop as much snow as first thought. Even so, about 40 people in the Mosquito Flats neighborhood had to be evacuated Sunday morning after a gas substation sprung a major leak.

The leak was so large and loud that it could be heard across town at the fire hall when a regulator failed at a NorthWestern Energy gas substation. The city didn’t lose gas service, but the leak forced people out of their homes.

“We dodged a bullet,” Columbia Falls Fire Chief Bob Webber said, as a boiler was running right next to the leak. The winds actually helped, blowing the gas away from ignition sources.

Firefighters responded to the scene at 8:23 a.m. Sunday and cleared the scene at about noon, Webber said.

There was no fire in the incident, but with subzero temperatures, folks had to find a way to keep warm. Three people and a dog spent the morning at the fire hall. The Red Cross was called for assistance, as it was first thought the leak would be an all-day fix. That wasn’t the case, but the agency did feed the emergency responders, Webber said.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Department also assisted with security around the leak. Webber also noted that folks should leave their doors unlocked in an evacuation, since firefighters often need to enter homes. In this case, they entered homes to take gas readings.

The storm rolled in Friday and Saturday morning, plummeting temperatures from the 30s to well below zero. Columbia Falls saw about three to four inches of snow and more fell in the canyon and West Glacier, with about six inches of snow.

Local temperatures varied. In Polebridge the remote weather sensor had a low of 26 below Sunday, St. Mary 27 below and West Glacier 6 below.

More cold is expected through the week, with subzero lows and highs either below zero or in the single digits.