St. Louis Gas Leak Results In The Evacuation Of 23 Homes

St. Louis residents on the 3400 block of Macklind Avenue were evacuated after a gas leak was discovered around 8:50 am Monday morning. A total of 23 homes had to be evacuated as a result of the leak.

Residents inside one of the homes claimed that they smelled something resembling gas Monday morning and decided to call Laclede Gas according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Firefighters were initially called to the scene and arrived at about 9 am.

“The leak was spewing an unsafe amount of gas, prompting the evacuation,” according to Captain Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department.

According to KMOV, once crews arrived and started taking readings, one home was discovered to have a reading of “explosive limits.” It was because of this reading that officials decided to evacuate a total of 23 homes in the surrounding areas as a special precaution. “They were evacuated to a safe place, most are with family and friends right now,” said Mosby.

Laclede Gas worked on both sides of the street, digging their way down the block as they looked to cap off the main and shut off gas to the entire street before finding the leak according to KMOV. Fire officials had told the public that they hoped to have the gas leak fixed by the afternoon, but didn’t give many more specifics. They said they were acting very cautiously due to safety concerns. Mosby said the following in a statement:

“It’s going to be a matter of hours, you really can’t put a time on it, erring on the side of caution and safety. They’re doing things very deliberately but as quickly and safely as possible.”

According to Nicor Gas, there are three ways someone could potentially spot a gas leak: smell, sound and sight. In many cases there is a distinctive odor to natural gas that can help alert someone to a gas leak. Nicor claims that many “equate the smell to that of rotten eggs.” Another sign that there may be a gas leak is if someone hears a blowing or hissing sound coming from a building that uses natural gas. Finally, Nicor suggests that if you see discolored vegetation, blowing dirt, or bubbling water near an area where a gas pipeline is, then that could also indicate a gas leak.

The Laclede Gas officials told the St. Louis residents that they finally located the leak shortly before 4 pm. Crews repaired the leak and then gave residents the okay to return home.

[Image via Shutterstock/Kathy Piper]