The Town of Kingsville has ended a partial state of emergency after an area affected by a gasoline leak was declared safe.
Mayor Nelson Santos lifted the order at 3 p.m. Friday, and crews have reopened the area of County Road 23 and County Road 20 where a leak near a gas station prompted the evacuation of homes in the area.
Santos praised the crews that worked on the situation all week and thanked residents for their patience.
"There were certainly a series of challenges to overcome through the course of the emergency response efforts at this location requiring above and beyond traditional efforts from our emergency responders and agencies," said Santos. "We want to thank the evacuated homeowners for their sacrifices and continued patience, as well as all emergency service personnel and cleanup crews who worked tirelessly to bring this incident to a safe resolution."
Residents in the homes located within a 500-metre radius of the gas station were ordered out on Sunday when the leak was identified. Until now, they were not permitted to return.
Crews spent the last couple of days removing all traces of contaminants from the crawl space of the gas station and the area surrounding it. A hazmat team from Windsor performed tests and confirmed Friday that there is no longer a risk of explosion.
