Bellmore Propane Leak Triggers Shelter-in-Place Order; No Injuries Reported

A propane filling station leak at a Bellmore nursery triggered a shelter-in-place order for dozens of homes and several businesses Monday afternoon before firefighters brought the situation under control and lifted the order just before 11 p.m. The incident occurred at Island Greenery, located at 2036 Bellmore Ave., just before 6 p.m., fire officials said. The leak originated from a valve on a 1,150-gallon cylinder used to fill smaller 20-pound containers typically used for backyard grills. Fire officials said the cylinder held approximately 5,000 pounds of propane in total. First responders issued a shelter-in-place order for a two-block radius surrounding the business. The Nassau County Fire Marshal's Hazardous Materials Response Team responded and used a controlled burn to reduce pressure in the tank and prevent excess gas from escaping, while firefighters hosed off the surrounding area for hours, officials said. A neighbor who lives across the street said she called the fire department after noticing something appeared wrong with the tank. Officials explained that the tank had recently been filled for the holiday weekend but sold little propane due to the rainy conditions. When warmer weather arrived Monday, the gas expanded and triggered the tank's self-venting system, releasing propane. Fire officials said the situation could have been far more serious if the propane had ignited or if it had settled into nearby basements and storm drains and reached an ignition source. There were no injuries, and officials said an explosion was avoided. The shelter-in-place order was lifted just before 11 p.m. after the leak was contained.