CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — A natural gas leak forced businesses to evacuate for nearly two hours after an excavator hit a gas line behind Merrick Seafood on Southeast 47th Terrace.
The morning started like any other for businesses along Southeast 47th Terrace until firefighters came inside and told them to get out. Nizar Asker, partner at The Bay Kava Cafe, was among those caught off guard.
“Me, and a couple customers were hanging out, and out of nowhere, a couple firefighters came in and just let us know, hey, there’s a gas leak, need to evacuate,” Asker said.
The Cape Coral Fire Department says an excavator hit a natural gas line behind Merrick Seafood. The fire department’s hazardous materials team responded along with TECO.
(Credit: Cape Coral Police Department)
The two-hour delay affected local businesses. Asker said he saw customers trying to come in, but police officers made them evacuate as well.
Marjan Keister, owner of Big 8 BBQ, was also forced to close. She said a firefighter asked them to leave because anything causing heat could be dangerous.
“She asked us to leave because she said anything causing heat could be dangerous,” Keister said. “So you know, we have an oven, we have a fryer, so we had to leave.”
The closure came with a cost. Keister says the restaurant lost its morning business, but she says safety came first.
“We are going to lose some sales, but I care about safety first,” Keister said. “So I didn’t want my employee to be at risk, so I just made a decision. It was a little tough, but we did it.”
Cape Coral Fire says the leak was fixed around noon. Business owners say they’re back to business and are grateful no one was hurt.