BARTHOLOMEW/BROWN COUNTY — Residents near the Bartholomew and Brown County line are back in their homes today after a massive gas line rupture forced emergency evacuations late yesterday afternoon.
The incident began near the intersection of West County Road 170S and Whitehorse Road, an area situated close to the Columbus Youth Camp. According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department (BCSO), a 30-inch gas line ruptured, creating an immediate safety hazard that required a swift multi-agency response.
Initial reports from emergency responders prompted a wide-scale evacuation. Officials originally ordered everyone within a 1.5-mile radius of the leak to leave their homes, an area that spanned portions of both Bartholomew and Brown counties.
As gas company technicians arrived on the scene and assessed the pressure levels, the evacuation zone was significantly narrowed. By late evening, the restricted area was reduced to a half-mile radius north and south of the rupture site.
After hours of intensive work to stabilize the high-pressure line, the Southern Brown County Volunteer Fire Department and gas officials managed to secure the site. At approximately 2:25 a.m., the BCSO announced that the line was secured for the night and residents were cleared to return home.
While emergency crews worked the scene near the Columbus Youth Camp, local authorities had to contend with a second “leak”—a wave of misinformation.
Unfounded rumors began circulating on social media suggesting that the rupture would trigger evacuations in the Town of Hope, located on the opposite end of the county. The Hope Police Department and county officials were forced to issue statements dispelling the rumors, clarifying that the danger was localized to the southwestern portion of the county.
The Sheriff’s Department stated that no injuries were reported in connection with the rupture.
