A gas line was ruptured Tuesday on Speirs Street in Westbrook for the second time in less than a week and police arrested a man who refused to evacuate a residence.

Public safety officials evacuated several homes and closed Main Street to traffic for about 45 minutes Tuesday after an excavator hit an abandoned gas line at 11-13 Speirs St. The incident was next door to a similar incident Thursday at 7 Speirs St.

Westbrook Police Chief Bill Baker arrested Valentine Lopez, 52, on a charge of obstructing government administration after he refused to leave 26 Speirs St. Baker said Lopez was smoking a cigarette and had refused to evacuate. Lopez was taken to Cumberland County Jail in Portland.

Tuesday, Westbrook received a call about the gas leak at 8:26 a.m., according to Deputy Fire Chief Thaddeus Soltys. He said a utility crew capped the leak and pubic safety left the scene at 9:10 a.m. after the area was metered for the presence of gas.”No one was injured,” Soltys said.

The incident Tuesday caused all homes on Speirs Street to be evacuated and some homes on nearby Stevens Avenue. Main Street was closed to traffic on Main Street from the arterial intersection to Stroudwater Street.

(gas leak 2)