Natural Gas Leak Forces South Abilene Residents from Their Homes
By: Victor Sotelo
Updated: February 28, 2013
Abilene firefighters evacuated a south Abilene neighborhood when city work crews cut into a 2 inch natural gas pipeline. People who live in a two block area around the leak were evacuated and, as windy as it's been lately, the lack of wind this morning contributed to the problems.
"It's a simple asphyxiant meaning if you have more gas than you have oxygen in the air than you could suffocate. There's really no breeze to speak of. Natural gas tends to accumulate when that happens. It stays in one place so it doesn't dissipate and become harmless like it would in normal conditions," says Greg Geottsch with the Abilene Fire Department.
As people waited for the line to be repaired city link buses were brought in so they would have a warm place to sit and wait. When gas was restored AEP crews went from house to house making sure all pilot lights to water heaters, stoves and furnaces were lit and ready to be used.
"It's a simple asphyxiant meaning if you have more gas than you have oxygen in the air than you could suffocate. There's really no breeze to speak of. Natural gas tends to accumulate when that happens. It stays in one place so it doesn't dissipate and become harmless like it would in normal conditions," says Greg Geottsch with the Abilene Fire Department.
As people waited for the line to be repaired city link buses were brought in so they would have a warm place to sit and wait. When gas was restored AEP crews went from house to house making sure all pilot lights to water heaters, stoves and furnaces were lit and ready to be used.
