LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - More than 50 homes in Lawrence were evacuated Monday afternoon after a private contractor ruptured a low-pressure gas line.
A contractor struck a low-pressure gas line on Florence Avenue at 12:30 p.m., prompting officials to evacuate residents from 53 homes, according to Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera.
Crews from Columbia Gas are working to fix the line, which could take between six to 12 hours, a spokesman said.
“We’re working to make sure the system is safe,” said Columbia Gas spokeswoman Kelly Merritt. “We had appropriately marked [gas] lines correctly and the contractor didn’t follow protocol.”
Rivera said a shelter has been opened up at the Arlington School at 153 Arlington St. and that the incident is “not related to the ongoing Columbia Gas issues.”
People were allowed back into their homes by 6 p.m., with repairs expected to be finished by midnight.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)