Executive Summary
- Incident Cause: A third-party contractor struck a gas main on North New Ballas Road.
- Government Response: The Creve Coeur Government Center was evacuated and closed to the public.
- School Safety: De Smet High School sheltered in place; fire crews confirmed no gas presence inside.
- Traffic Impact: Police issued alerts for drivers to avoid the affected area.
A gas leak triggered by a construction accident forced the evacuation of the Creve Coeur Government Center and led to a shelter-in-place order at De Smet High School on Thursday morning. According to a spokeswoman for Spire, the incident originated when a third-party contractor struck a gas main in the 300 block of North New Ballas Road, necessitating an urgent response from utility crews to repair the line.
The rupture resulted in the immediate evacuation and temporary closure of the Creve Coeur Government Center. De Smet High School, located on the same block, initiated shelter-in-place protocols out of an abundance of caution. A school spokesman confirmed that the Frontenac Fire Department conducted air quality tests throughout the educational facility and detected no trace of gas. To further mitigate potential risks, the school disabled its HVAC system and secured all windows.
In a public safety alert, the Creve Coeur Police Department advised motorists to avoid the area to facilitate emergency operations and repair work.
Infrastructure Safety Protocol
This incident underscores the critical nature of subsurface utility safety during excavation projects and the efficacy of rapid emergency response protocols. The coordinated actions between Spire, municipal authorities, and school administrators effectively neutralized the immediate public safety threat. The proactive environmental testing by the Frontenac Fire Department provided necessary assurance for the school population, highlighting the importance of established hazmat contingencies in minimizing disruption and ensuring safety in densely populated mixed-use districts.
