Springdale Manor residents return to their apartments after gas leak led to evacuation, no injuries reported

The eight-story Springdale Manor high-rise was evacuated Tuesday night because of a natural gas leak.

The incident was reported at 7:43 p.m., and the roughly 90 residents were starting to return to their apartments just before 10 p.m.

The leak was in the building’s boiler room, according to police and emergency management officials at the scene. A crew from the Allegheny County Housing Authority repaired it.

Crews with Peoples gas also responded. A spokesman could not be reached late Tuesday night.

Springdale police Chief Derek Dayoub said all of the high-rise residents got out safely. Multiple police and fire agencies responded.

Residents initially sought shelter from the cold in three storefronts in a neighboring shopping center, which includes a Dollar General, Beer & Beyond and Springdale Laundromat. A warming tent was also set up in the parking lot.

Springdale’s borough building was being readied as a warming center, and residents who could walk boarded a W.L. Roenigk bus for the trip while a second bus for the disabled was on the way.

However, the first bus never left and the second was not seen to arrive before the residents were let back into their homes.

Bill McQullan, who lives on the seventh floor, said he smelled a little gas on the first floor when he left earlier in the evening to go to Dollar General, but said he didn’t think too much of it. He didn’t smell any on his own floor.

“It didn’t seem to be that strong,” he said while sheltering at Dollar General.

McQullan and other residents said the building’s boiler and dryers are the only gas consuming equipment, as everything in residents’ apartments is electric.

Police closed Pittsburgh Street, the main artery through the borough, in the area of the high-rise during the incident and detoured traffic around it.

Brandon Bruske, who works at Beer & Beyond, said authorities had the parking lot at the strip center cleared out to make way for emergency vehicles. He was closing the store when the incident started.

Bruske said the owner was OK with keeping the store open for as long as needed for the evacuated residents.

“They’re happy to be warm and able to go to the bathroom,” he said. “Everybody’s been hanging out and watching TV.”

At Dollar General, Gwen Allan, who also lives on the seventh floor, said authorities knocked on every door yelling that they had to evacuate.

“They pounded on every door,” she said.

Allan said she checked on a bed-ridden neighbor, and called her sister to let her know she was OK.

Allan wanted to thank the workers at Dollar General.

“They’ve been very kind to people, letting this many in and block their aisles,” she said.