Officials Work to Fix Propane Gas Leak at VA Hospital

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue units are working to contain a gas leak at the VA Hospital at 131st Avenue and 30th Street and are warning residents to stay away from the area.

Crews are working to secure the area and stop the leak of propane gas from a valve on an 18,000-gallon tank outside the , 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., according to Robert Stokes, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Division Chief.

The Suburban Gas Company and officials from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and VA Police are on scene assisting, but no businesses are being evacuated at this time.

Crews are trying to remove the liquid propane from the tank, which is about 80 percent full, according to Stokes. The best case scenerio for this would be if this takes five to 10 hours he said.

"It's not a simple fix, we can't get it sealed off," Stokes said.

Portions of 131st Avenue will remain shut down for at least five hours, but the hospital is still accessible and has not been evacuated.

Many of the fire vehicles are parked in front of The Kwik Stop on the corner of East 131st Avenue and Livingston Avenue. Owner Nick Masri says that he may close early because it's too hard for people to get to his store. 

"All people should stay clear of the area until the leak has been contained," fire officials said in an earlier press release.

Stay tuned to Patch for updates on this story.