One block of East Market Street was closed for about two hours Tuesday evening due to a gas leak from an underground utility vault.

Police and fire crews responded to a call about the smell of gas in the area of the Xenia Community Library and the Greene County Jail at about 8:30 p.m.

A Vectren technician was called to the intersection of Market and North Whiteman Street and determined that gas was leaking through a vent pipe from the underground vault, possibly due to a regulator malfunction, according to Xenia Fire Capt. Jason Kinley.

“They have since shut the gas off so there is no more hazard,” Kinley said. He said levels of gas in the air never reached explosive levels and there was no evacuation of nearby buildings or homes.

The library was closing at the time of the leak and Kinley said the wind was blowing to the north so the jail was not affected.

“That was a consideration, he said. “Because the jail is occupied.”

Vectren was able to use a bypass valve so natural gas service to nearby homes was not interrupted, according to Kinley.