Shelter in place lifted after propane filling station leaked in Bellmore
Fire officials said the hours-long operation prevented an explosion in the neighborhood.
A shelter-in-place order has been lifted for a Bellmore community after a massive propane gas filling station leaked on Monday.
The incident happened at Island Greenery, located at 2036 Bellmore Ave., just before 6 p.m.
The valve leak came from a 1,150-gallon cylinder that was used to fill smaller 20-pound containers that you would typically use for a barbecue. Fire officials said the cylinder held about 5,000 pounds total.
The leak prompted first responders to issue a shelter-in-place order for a two-block radius of dozens of homes and several businesses surrounding the operation.
The Nassau County Fire Marshal's Hazardous Materials Response Team used a controlled burn to bring down the pressure in the tank and prevent excess gas from coming out, while firefighters hosed off the area for hours.
The safety measures were lifted just before 11 p.m.
Fire officials said the situation could have been much worse if there had been a fire or if the propane had settled into nearby basements and storm drains and reached an ignition source.
