Neighborhood gas leak forces residents to evacuate

Sarah White

March 5, 2012

A construction crew broke a gas line near 39th Street and Jefferson Street on Friday causing the Austin Fire Department to take precautionary measures by evacuating 12 residences, said fire department captain Matt Cox.

Cox said the crew called the fire department as soon as they punctured the 4-6 inch gas line at about 9:30 a.m. in what Cox described as an “old residential area of Austin.”

“They saw that they had broken it as soon as it happened,” Cox said. “They called us right away, and we started evacuating.”

Cox said police and fire department officials responded to the scene and blocked all roads allowing access to the area. Residents were allowed back into their houses by about noon when fire department officials began to clear the scene, Cox said.

“A Texas Gas [Service] construction crew was still there when we left,” Cox said. “But the situation was under control by noon.”