A ruptured gas main shut down part of Vermillion Street in Hastings Tuesday, June 19, and prompted an evacuation order after a construction crew struck a three-inch plastic gas line during landscaping work near the 1320 Vermillion Street building.

The incident occurred during the early afternoon as workers from Wagner Sod Company of Inver Grove Heights were excavating along the Vermillion Street side of the building. The crew had followed standard procedure by contacting Gopher State One Call (GSOC) prior to digging. GSOC is the statewide system Minnesotans are required to use to ensure underground utilities are marked before excavation begins.

Two GSOC tickets were created for the project at 1320 Vermillion, both issued by Wagner Sod. According to the ticket information, CenterPoint Energy, the provider of gas service to the area, had marked multiple plastic service lines, including a three-inch main. These markings are intended to guide crews to safely work around underground utilities. In this case, the operator of the skid loader reported seeing only a blue flag marking a water line in the immediate work zone. No yellow markings, which indicate gas lines, were visible to him at the time of excavation.

The rupture occurred sometime around 2:40 p.m. The operator immediately removed the skid, recognizing the danger posed by the escaping gas. The prompt response likely prevented ignitions from the machine, and within minutes, emergency personnel were on site securing the area. The first public alert was issued on the Hastings Journal’s Facebook at 3 p.m.

As gas continued to escape from the punctured line, the situation quickly escalated. Crews identified a gas bubble forming under the building, which raised additional safety concerns for nearby workers and passing traffic. By 3:33 p.m., emergency officials ordered an evacuation of roughly one city block surrounding 14th and Eddy Streets.

Though loud hissing could initially be heard from the damaged main, the noise subsided as crews worked to crimp and control the leak. Despite efforts to secure the area, gas remained visibly venting from the dig site for some time. Initially, officials emphasized that there was no immediate threat to public health, as the gas was being released safely into the air. Captain Ryan McGraw of the Hastings Fire Department confirmed the risk was localized and under constant monitoring.

Southbound Vermillion Street between Highway 55 and 15th Street was closed for approximately an hour as CenterPoint Energy assessed and began repairs. Pedestrians and bicyclists were also urged to stay away, though several attempted to bypass barricades and closed sidewalks, prompting frustration from emergency responders who reiterated the need for safety and cooperation.

Minnesota Department of Transportation vehicles arrived by 3:50 p.m. to relieve Hastings Police, Fire, and Dakota County Sheriff’s units from maintaining roadblocks. By 4:00 p.m., the leak had been fully stopped and both lanes of Vermillion Street were reopened to traffic. However, city officials warned that workers would remain in the area into the evening, with occasional lane closures likely on Vermillion and surrounding side streets.

No injuries were reported, and damage was limited to the gas main. While initial assumptions questioned whether the line had been properly marked, the GSOC records confirm that CenterPoint Energy documented multiple gas lines in the area, including the ruptured three-inch plastic main. The discrepancy between the official markings and what was visible on-site will likely be reviewed as part of a routine post-incident assessment.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of utility markings and situational awareness on job sites. Though Wagner Sod followed proper notification procedures by contacting GSOC, the events of June 19 underscore that even properly marked lines can lead to hazardous situations if visibility is unclear or markings are missed.

Traffic resumed normal patterns with Vermillion Street reopened around 4:00 p.m. Work continued into the evening to finalize the repairs.