February 29 was a Leap Day to remember for local first responders and Eversource personnel, after the accidental rupture of a municipal gas line during excavation work resulted in rapid evacuations and the temporary closure of the Fairfield Hills campus.

Construction crew members were on site at 7 am that morning, according to a field report by Construction Inspector Vincent Passannante. Working on behalf of contracting firm M. Rondano Inc, workmen had pulled away road plates covering up work from earlier in the week and were in the process of “installing a hydrant tee onto the exposed side of main.”

The construction had been underway on Simpson Street, between Newtown Municial Center and Newtown Community Center and on the road towards NYA Sports & Fitness Center.

At 8:15 am Thursday, according to Passannante's report, “while excavating the trench, Rondano’s operator hit and broke a 2” gas main running to the municipal building.”

Eversource and three local fire companies — Newtown Hook & Ladder, Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue (SHVFR), and Botsford Fire Rescue — were dispatched at that point.

SHVFR Chief Anthony Capozziello arrived within minutes and initially in command. Hook & Ladder Second Assistant Chief Jason Shuttleworth took command upon his arrival due to the incident being in his company's district. Firefighters took immediate control of the situation, establishing a perimeter around the active leak and facilitating civilian evacuation.

First Selectman Jeff Capeci last week confirmed workers "were doing excavating for the water line, and they hit the gas" line. Capeci also confirmed that the municipal center, NYA Sports & Fitness Center, and community/senior center buildings were totally evacuated due to "precautionary" measures.

One workman was overheard describing the damage as a "6-inch hole" in the gas pipeline. The roar of gas escaping the pipe into the air was indeed audible from a few hundred feet away.

Emergency Communications Center Director Maureen Will issued a CodeRED alert to residents, informing them the Fairfield Hills campus was off limits due to potential risks associated with gas exposure.

Newtown PD Lieutenant Smith issued a statement mid-morning, saying "Police and fire are on scene, and they are working to take care of the issue. Please stay away from the campus until further notice.”

Police vehicles closed both entrances of the campus, as pedestrian and automotive traffic alike was deterred from entering its perimeter. The only vehicles that were permitted entrance were Eversource crew and first responders.

The gas main was shut off at 8:45 am, at which point Eversource “began repairing the main immediately.”

Rondano workers continued their excavation work as repairs to the gas line were ongoing.

During the repair process, Eversource workers discovered electrical conduits “6’ west of the gas main,” one of which appeared to be “previously broken,” likely due to work previously done in the area. Rondano had not been digging near the broken conduit.

Passannante reported “the broken conduit was repaired with plastic pipe from Rondano’s staging area.”

Shortly after 9 am, Lt Smith informed residents that "the gas line is no longer actively leaking at this time but the campus remains closed," adding "there have not been any reported injuries."

By midmorning Friday, the campus was reopened for outdoor access, and the police department was no longer on the scene. At that time Smith reported "repairs to the gas line will continue to take place."

By 1:10 pm, the repairs to the gas main had been completed by Eversource staff. The municipal center reopened within the hour, NYA Sports & Fitness Center reopened that afternoon, and NewSylum Brewing Company opened its doors at its regular 4 pm start time.

Rondano employees were ultimately able to complete their work as well on Thursday, installing 140 feet of 10” high density polyethylene water piping to connect to a nearby hydrant.

The trench was filled in and temporary road plates were installed, allowing crews to return to the site the next day for the resumption of labor.

Capeci said Eversource responded swiftly and appropriately to the situation as it unfolded.

"They came out for an emergency response and reacted and corrected a situation that was outside of their control. In my view they performed very well yesterday," he told The Newtown Bee March 1.

Following the incident Director of Public Works Fred Hurley said “on that particular one they didn’t use the hand shovel to work their way down to the gas main — our gas lateral — which was unfortunate. It’s really on their head. It’s a malfeasance on their part.”

Hurley added Rondano will bear the responsibility for the leak, although the contractors did have permission to dig in that area and had made the necessary notifications to civil authorities.

“If you hit a utility and you have done the call before you dig,” he explained, “you’re going to have to pay for the restoration, but you’re not going to get a civil penalty for failure to follow procedure … There isn’t going to be a fine. They’ll have to fully reimburse the utilities for the cost of fixing the line, and they’re going to be subject to lost time, wages, and revenue for the businesses that had to shut down because of the evacuations.”

Reporter Owen Tanzer can be reached at owen@thebee.com.