Paulette Ugro, back left, sitting on a rock, clutches a jar of BINGO money Thursday afternoon after their game in the community center at Meadowview Park on Spofford Street in Lewiston was interrupted. Lewiston Fire Department evacuated most of the apartments in the complex after an excavator punctured a natural gas line. “I sure hope we can get back in and finish our game,” she said as firefighters dragged hoses to the scene. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — When the order to evacuate came down Thursday afternoon at Meadowview Park, Paulette Ugro knew what she had to do. 

“I grabbed the Bingo money,” she said. “I didn’t want to leave that behind because if it got lost, I’d have to pay everybody back.” 

A gas leak behind the elderly housing apartment complex at about 3:45 p.m. sent roughly 30 Meadowview residents scrambling to get outdoors. 

Lewiston Fire Department Captain Rick Cailler, middle in yellow vest, talks with another firefighter as Unitil workers shut off the gas after an excavator punctured a natural gas line Thursday afternoon at Meadowview Park on Spofford Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

“It was pretty orderly,” Ugro said, sitting on a rock in front of the apartment complex and clutching a big plastic tub containing the Bingo money. 

Fire officials said that a contractor doing work for the Lewiston Housing Authority had struck the underground gas main leading to the building “causing a significant release of natural gas into the atmosphere.”

“I didn’t smell it until I got outside,” Urgo said. 

Minutes later, fire crews and workers from Unitil, a natural gas company, were on scene. The area where the leak occurred was secured, while residents filed out of their apartments and took up positions a safe distance away. 

Many had their dogs in tow on leashes. A few had grabbed lawn chairs and now sat in the grass watching the action. It turned into an unscheduled social hour. 

Residents watch a firefighter haul hose Thursday afternoon at Meadowview Park on Spofford Street in Lewiston as others, background, wait for Unitil gas employees to shut off the gas after an excavator breached a line at the senior housing complex off Sabattus Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

“This is big excitement for this place,” said Debbie Osbourne, walking her dog Elvis and chatting with neighbors. 

Osbourne, too, had been gearing up for afternoon Bingo. 

“We were just about to get started,” she said, “when I heard we had to evacuate.” 

Osbourne said she had smelled the scent of gas, but thought it was her imagination.  

Roughly 152 people live in the Meadowview Park complex, most of them elderly or people with disabilities. The complex is located at 23 Spoffod St., off Sabattus Street between East Avenue and Farwell Street. 

There were no reports of injuries as building 1 was evacuated, though paramedics were on scene just in case. 

Fire officials said that Unitil workers were able to bring the gas leak under control by about 4:30 p.m. All residents were allowed to return to their homes by 5 p.m.

Whether or not the Bingo game would resume later in the day was being assessed. 

“If people still want to play after they get everything fixed, we’ll do it,” said Urgo.