OLD TOWN, Maine — The weight of snow that fell on a gas line that services the factory outlet store at Old Town Canoes & Kayaks was blamed for the line breaking and causing a leak Monday morning.
“They had a pipe on their meter that broke,” Old Town fire Capt. Mike Hildreth said just as crews returned to the fire station. “We believe the weight of the snow caused a hairline fracture and break.”
The call for help came in at 11 a.m. from the store at 125 Gilman Falls Ave. The store is closed for the winter season, according to its website.
“Workers had evacuated the building and shut off the gas,” Hildreth said. “Bangor Gas is on scene right now fixing the broken pipe.”
Hildreth warned homeowners to clean off vents to dryers and pellet stoves and to any type of service connections to their homes to prevent similar problems with snow and ice buildup.