A gas line break on West Arbecam Avenue in Cortez caused a portion of the street to be closed for a half-hour Friday while the line was plugged.

A construction crew tearing down an old house broke the line, according to Chief Jeff Vandevoorde of the Cortez Fire Protection District.

There were no injuries or fire. A technician from Atmos Energy arrived to turn off the gas.

The smell of gas filled the air, and Cortez Police blocked Abecam Avenue between North Market Street and North Chestnut Street. Passersby were instructed to stay back and leave the area. Several firefighters worked to control the leak and also monitored the air quality.

No evacuations were required, officials said.

The break occurred next door to Cortez Milling Co., which shut down operations while the leak was controlled, officials said.