Evacuations lifted for South Salt Lake gas leak fire
Apr 28, 2025, 11:30 AM | Updated: May 2, 2025, 5:41 pm
A gas leak that led to a fire in South Salt Lake near West Temple on Sunday, April 27, 2025 forced the evacuation of residents in the area for the night. (Wesley Barton/KSL TV)
(Wesley Barton/KSL TV)
SOUTH SALT LAKE — Families are finally back home after Sunday night’s dangerous gas leak fire in South Salt Lake. The fire forced surrounding homes and businesses to evacuate, but that’s now been lifted.
The sight of workers on Monday morning, fixing holes and the gas line, looks much different from the wall of flames ignited by the gas leak.
“That gas can travel along that conduit, like water on your sprinkler pipe … it will find an ignition source and it will ignite,” said Terry Addison, South Salt Lake Fire Chief.
South Salt Lake Fire Chief Terry Addison stands at the scene of a gas leak near South West Temple Street and 3400 S in South Salt Lake on Sunday, April 27, 2025. The city announced that evacuation was mandatory for everyone between 3300-3500 South, and between West Temple and 200 West. (Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
Firefighters said a power line fell onto a truck and started the fire, but as soon as crews put it out, they noticed a nearby gas meter was also on fire. They then discovered a leak under the road.
“Currently, it’s in the storm drains and the sewer lines,” Addison said.
The leak forced the closure of the road and a Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX line, and it also forced surrounding homes and businesses to evacuate.
A gas leak that led to a fire in South Salt Lake near West Temple on Sunday, April 27, 2025 forced the evacuation of residents in the area for the night. (Wesley Barton, KSL TV)
One of the residents, Bernadette Glines, told KSL TV he had to spend the night in his car.
“We were waiting for updates and seeing if we could go home,” Glines said.
Other residents went to a nearby American Red Cross shelter inside a meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“It means I didn’t have to rely on family for emergency shelter,” said Austin Hedin, evacuated for the gas leak fire.
The Red Cross made it available to anyone who needed it.
“Very important that the shelter is here so they can order the evac to have a safe place to come to that’s warm and you can get some food,” said Leigha Westover, Utah American Red Cross Community Disaster Program Manager.
American Red Cross Disaster Team associate Margaret Moore, center, speaks with colleagues in an American Red Cross evacuation shelter at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Salt Lake on Sunday, April 27, 2025. The city announced that evacuation was mandatory for everyone between 3300-3500 South, and between West Temple and 200 West due to a gas leak. (Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
As evacuees sought shelter, crews worked throughout the night to find and fix the leak. By midmorning on Monday, evacuations were lifted, and crews had power, gas, and the roads back to normal.
“It takes a village to handle incidents like this and we have that set up and it worked out really well,” Addison said.
As far as dangerous gas leaks go, the situation played out relatively smoothly, officials said. Although it caused disruptions and one truck was burned, it didn’t cause any significant destruction.
