Gas Leak Blocks Orange Avenue, Forces Nightclub To Close

A natural gas leak in downtown Orlando shut down Orange Avenue from Highway 50 to Amelia street Saturday morning, and forced the Firestone Nightclub to evacuate.

According to an Orlando Police spokesman, the leak was discovered late Friday evening.

There was a strange odor coming from a manhole at Orange and Concord Street, and when officers discovered it was natural gas, they quickly ordered customers and employees out of the Firestone, and closed Orange Avenue.

Orlando Fire officials said the leak sprung from underground pipelines that feed businesses and residents in the area, and called the situation very hazardous.

The leak was eventually contained, but repair crews had to dig up part of the street in the middle of Orange Avenue to discover the source.

Crews wrapped up their repair work late Saturday morning and Orange was reopened.