POCATELLO — A city block in downtown Pocatello was evacuated late Tuesday night after an alleged drunken driver crashed her pickup truck into a popular bar and breached a natural gas line, police said.

The incident occurred around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday when the woman lost control of her pickup while driving on Union Pacific Avenue, said police, adding that her truck left the roadway and slammed into the natural gas meter for the Bourbon Barrel Bar on the 200 block of West Clark Street, authorities said.

Bourbon Barrel owner Becky Talbot says the bar escaped without serious damage, observing only scratches to the building’s exterior. However, the impact breached the natural gas line and meter on the building’s exterior, causing natural gas to fill the air.

“Gas was just spewing out of the line, “ Talbot said. “When they opened the back door of the bar, gas just came flooding into the bar.”

Pocatello police and fire units immediately responded and evacuated the Bourbon Barrel and all the other buildings on the 200 block of West Clark.

Intermountain Gas and Idaho Power responded to the scene and shut off gas and electricity, respectively, to the area early Wednesday morning.

Talbot says one of her bartenders had parked her car in front of the bar and was unable to retrieve it and leave because power and gas officials were taking every precaution necessary to prevent the engine possibly sparking upon being started and causing an explosion from the natural gas in the air.

West Clark Street and Union Pacific Avenue in the area of the Bourbon Barrel was shut down for several hours because of the incident.

Miraculously the incident did not result in any injuries or explosions.

The woman who was driving the pickup remained at the scene following the crash and was charged with excessive driving under the influence because her blood-alcohol level was over 0.20 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, police said.

She was cited and released by police after being medically cleared by Pocatello Fire Department paramedics.

The woman’s name has not yet been released, but police confirmed she is from the Pocatello area.

Talbot says the portion of Intermountain Gas’ line has been repaired and she is working with Idaho Flood and Fire to make repairs to the portion of the line that runs from the meter to the interior of the Bourbon Barrel Bar and does not yet have an estimate of the repair costs.

Establishments on the 200 block of West Clark Street, including the Purpose Center, Bourbon Barrel, First National Bar have since reopened.