Large gas leak forces downtown Durham businesses near ballpark to evacuate

A gas leak in downtown Durham has forced the evacuation of nearby buildings late Wednesday afternoon, according to the city’s Fire Department.

As of 5 p.m. crews are at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Blackwell Street due to the “large natural gas leak” in front of the main entrance. There is no scheduled game at the stadium Wednesday night, the department said.

All streets surrounding the stadium are shut down while the department waits for Enbridge Gas and Duke Energy to secure the area.

In 2019, two people were killed and 25 were injured in a natural gas leak explosion on North Duke Street in the Brightleaf District. The explosion, which followed a contractor’s rupturing a gas line, was later ruled an accident by the Durham Fire Department.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 6:20 PM.

Kristen Johnson

The News & Observer

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Kristen Johnson is a local government reporter covering Durham for The News & Observer. She previously covered Cary and western Wake County. Prior to coming home to the Triangle, she reported for The Fayetteville Observer and spent time covering politics and culture in Washington, D.C. She is an alumna of UNC at Charlotte and American University.