Gas leak closes Osprey Avenue

A gas-main break resulted in the closure late Friday morning of Osprey Avenue near Grove Street. Sarasota police and firefighters are on the scene.

One square mile around the intersection of Osprey and Grove Street was closed, said Officer Linda DeNiro, Sarasota Police Department spokeswoman.

The smell of gas is apparent, and electricity and water are not working at nearby homes, said Morris Street resident Richard Mead.

A company was installing a new natural-gas line when crews hit a water main line, DeNiro said. The pressure from water caused a gas main to break.

A firefighter responding to the scene fell into a hole, but he did not appear to be injured, DeNiro said. Three or four homes in the area were evacuated.

Just before noon, the Sarasota County School Board was deciding how best to evacuate Southside Elementary School.