‘Very loud’ noise overnight in Columbia has explanation, SC fire department says
There was a loud noise late Sunday night in a section of Columbia that’s in Lexington County.
Many people went on social media to report hearing the mysterious sound, but few knew that the cause was a natural gas leak, something confirmed Monday by the Irmo Fire District.
The noise originated from a gas system found in the area between Saluda Shoals Park and a Food Lion grocery store, Assistant Fire Chief Sloane Valentino told The State. That also happens to be next to one of the fire district’s stations, just off St. Andrews Road, and about a mile from the popular shopping and dining district on Harbison Boulevard.
“A valve opened up and started venting gas,” Valentino said. “It was very loud. ... It smells bad, but we never found the level of gas to be dangerous.”
Shortly before 10 p.m., the fire district got a call about the gas leak, according to Valentino. He said the leak lasted about 20 minutes before Dominion Energy crew members came and closed the valve.
“Not a lot of product was released,” said Valentino. He didn’t know the exact amount of natural gas that leaked.
While the leak occurred, members of the fire district used gas monitors to determine if the amount of gas released was dangerous, Valentino said. Their findings showed the amount of gas in the air was at a negligible level, and there were neither threats to health of those in the area nor to property that potentially could have been damaged by a more significant leak.
“The wind was gentle and it dissipated,” Valentino said. “If there is a leak, you actually want it in the open air, and not confined inside.”
Members of the fire district also checked inside the Food Lion and other nearby buildings to ensure that the gas had not seeped inside, according to Valentino. The gas didn’t get in, and all of those buildings were deemed safe, Valentino said.
There are two gas lines that run through that part of Columbia, according to Valentino, and both will burp out gas from time to time. One of those lines is close to the nearby Shaw Industries, which is part of the company that’s one of the world’s largest flooring manufacturers.
While products can often be seen being discharged from the pipes, valves or smokestacks atop of the facility, Valentino said Sunday’s incident did not involve the Shaw Industries plant.
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This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 12:15 PM with the headline "‘Very loud’ noise overnight in Columbia has explanation, SC fire department says."
