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Emergency workers close Route 197, near entrances to Exit 43 Quik Stop and close to Interstate 295.

RICHMOND — An underground explosion Monday morning at the Exit 43 Quik Stop, off Route 197 near Interstate 295 in Richmond, forced temporary closure of the gas station and convenience store, prompted evacuation of nearby businesses and led to a brief road closure, according to officials.

Chief John Bellino of the Richmond Fire Department said gas vapors had accumulated in an underground storage area for fuel tanks. The vapors were ignited and exploded underground, blowing off a manhole cover in the parking lot at about 11 a.m. Monday.

Emergency workers respond Monday to an underground blast at the Exit 43 Quik Stop, off Route 197 in Richmond. Keith Edwards/Kennebec Journal

Bellino said there were no injuries and there was no damage to vehicles or property, other than perhaps the manhole cover, which was blown into the air.

Emergency workers said a car had just driven over the underground fuel tank when the explosion occurred. An investigator with the Office of State Fire Marshal responded to the scene, according to Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The blast prompted officials to close that area of Route 197 and a short stretch of Ridge Road next to the store while investigators assessed the site.

No flames or smoke were visible from the street and most firefighters at the scene had shed their firefighting gear after about an hour.Advertisement

The response to the explosion included firefighters from Richmond, Litchfield, Woolwich and Bowdoinham; officers from state, Sagadahoc and Richmond police; state Department of Environmental Protection workers; and Simard & Sons Inc. gas technicians. Some who responded to the late-morning blast remained at the scene a few hours later.

Workers appeared focused on an area of the parking lot between the gas pumps and Route 197, where underground gas tanks are accessed.

Bellino said the convenience store reopened Monday afternoon, but the gas pumps remained closed.

Adjacent businesses, including Dunkin’ and Subway, were evacuated and remained closed during the incident as a precaution, police said.

Route 197, the main route of travel into Richmond from I-295, was closed for about an hour, until noontime.

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