Crime & Safety

Gas Odor Reported on Rye Ridge Road

Authorities responded to a gas odor in the area of 116 Rye Ridge Road Tuesday night. Con Edison as well as the Harrison and Rye Fire Departments were at the scene.

The smell of natural gas is in the air along Rye Ridge Road in Harrison.

Residents began noticing the smell around 8 p.m. Tuesday night, prompting a flurry of phone calls to the Harrison Fire Department. Firefighters responded to the scene along with Consolidated Edison officials within minutes.

The smell, it turns out, was the result of work the energy company was doing to fix a leak originally discovered weeks ago, on March 1. Consolidated Edison officials finally pinpointed the leak's location Tuesday, a spokeswoman from the energy company said.

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As officials worked to replace a 25-foot section of pipe near 116 Rye Ridge Road, natural gas escaped into the air. Consolidated Edison is reporting no service disruptions or injuries, but said the smell is a likely side effect while replacing the pipe.

Although it creates an odor, gas escaping into the air isn't dangerous and does not pose a threat to nearby homes said Harrison Fire Chief Dino Del Signore. Firemen checked manholes and surrounding homes to confirm there were no problems or threats Tuesday night. The Rye Fire Department was called in as a precaution.

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Rye Ridge Road was closed off for about 20 minutes while authorities responded.

The number of calls prompted a response and Consolidated Edison officials worked on the pipe into the night.

"They were on top of it, they were very quick, they did their thing," Del Signore said. "They were very helpful and got everything under control within minutes."

Consolidated Edison trucks remained in the area Wednesday afternoon and the gas smell is still present along Rye Ridge Road. The spokeswoman said the company hopes to complete work in the area within the next few days.

Tuesday was a busy day for the Harrison Fire Department. Firemen also joined police in responding to a  on Halstead Avenue and a steam pipe break on Calvert Street.

"We were in and out all day, all types of situations," said Del Signore. "That's what we do, we train, we prepare and we are always ready."


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