Crews from the Hammond Fire Department and NIPSCO are on the scene of a natural gas leak and fire in the Hammond's Hessville neighborhood.

Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said a power line fell from a pole and ignited a natural gas main beneath 164th Place and at Kennedy Avenue.

The power line sent flames shooting about 15 feet into the sky, and was still burning after 12:30 p.m.

Authorities detected natural gas seeping into sewers on the west side of Kennedy Avenue, and homes and business on that side of the street were evacuated as police and firefighters went door-to-door in the 2600 and 2700 blocks of 164th Place and Cleveland Street, Miller said. No evacuations were necessary east of Kennedy, he said.

Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Margraf said crews were called to the scene about 7:40 a.m. He said several residents are reported to be without power, and said no civilians were injured.

Miller said a Hammond police officer suffered minor injuries when he first arrived on the scene and was taken to St. Margaret Mercy in Hammond for treatment.

Kennedy Avenue remained blocked at 165th Street, and northbound motorists were being detoured to the east and west.

NIPSCO spokesman Nick Meyer said crews are on the scene, and were dispatched to the scene to investigate shortly before 8 a.m.

Crews are in the process of trying to shut off the gas service in that area to make sure nothing would continue to spread, Meyer said.

About 30 customers are without gas service and a handful of customers are without power, he said.

Freddy's Steakhouse owner Jim Latsoudis said he arrived at his restaurant about 8 a.m. to see police squad cars and fire trucks in the street and the flames shooting up from 164th place just a short distance from his restaurant at the northwest corner of 165th Street and Kennedy.

Latsoudis said he went into the restaurant, turned off the alarm, and didn't smell any gas. He had not been ordered to evacuate his business, but said he would not open at 11 a.m. unless the natural gas fire was put out.

"I don't want to put any customers in any kind of jeopardy," he said.

Times Staff Writers Keith Benman and Chris Keller contributed to this report