MISSOULA — NorthWestern Energy is investigating the cause of a gas leak that led to an explosion and house fire last week on South 4th Street West in Missoula.
The utility company shut off gas services to some homes in the 1400 block last Wednesday as Missoula fire crews battled a house fire.
People living closest to the house do not have services restored yet, but NorthWestern Energy has determined it's safe to do so for others in the neighborhood.
The company continues to monitor the incident area and has isolated the section of the system that leaked. They will now investigate what caused the gas leak.
"NorthWestern Energy’s natural gas infrastructure is operated and maintained to meet rigorous federal guidelines and safety standards," NorthWestern Energy spokeswoman Jo Dee Black told MTN News. "Examples include odorization of natural gas, customer safety education, and proactive inspections to identify leaks, along with other activities geared to protect the integrity of the 5,000 miles of distribution pipeline that NorthWestern operates."
Anyone who smells a natural gas odor should leave the area immediately and call 9-1-1.
