2ND GAS LEAK REPORTED IN LOUISA AT NEARLY SAME TIME, TURNS OUT TO BE FALSE ALARM AS EMERGENCY OFFICIALS HAVE BUSY MORNING
MARCH 15, 2017 – written by WADE QUEEN & GINA WOODS
Several residents in an area of Fallsburg got a scary very early morning wake up call in the dark Wednesday morning hours, as a result of a major gas leak that was discovered in there area.
At approximately 3:15 AM on Wednesday March 15, 2017, a call came in to the Lawrence Co. EMS of a strong odor of gas in the Fallsburg area. Neighbors could hear and smell gas on Heavens Field Rd in Fallsburg.
Upon the arrival of the Fire Dept. and Emergency officials it was discovered that a 6 inch pipeline coming into the pumping station owned by Jefferson Gas was leaking in the Austin Branch Road area of Route 707 in northern Lawrence County
The gas was rising out of the leak area until the winds settled and began to permeate the community.
The Fallsburg Fire Department suggested that the homes in the immediate area shelter in place unless they experienced a smell of gas in their home. They were encouraged to go to the Fallsburg Tabernacle for shelter.
At around 6am the line leak was stopped. All residents told it was safe to return to their homes.
According to Lawrence County Emergency Management, Lawrence County E-911 received a call just before 4 A.M. of a report of a heavy smell of natural gas in the Austin Branch Road area of Route 707 in northern Lawrence County.
E-911 dispatched the Fallsburg Fire Department to the area, where fire crews immediately discovered that a 6 inch pipeline coming into the pumping station owned by Jefferson Gas was leaking in Heavens Field just off of Austin Branch Road.
Emergency officials determined that the leak was so large a major explosion could take place and that there were several homes nearby in the immediate affected area.
Firefighters and other emergency personnel alerted the residents of five homes in the area that they needed to evacuate due to the dangerous situation.
A shelter was set up at the Fallsburg Tabernacle Church for the displaced citizens from the gas leak area.
At around the time the evacuations were underway, emergency officials immediately contacted the gas company that operated the gas line. Jefferson Gas company crews arrived about an hour after the gas leak was reported and began working to shut it off.
The gas leak was shut off around 6:00 a.m. and the area was deemed safe shortly thereafter at 6:05 A.M.
Residents who were evacuated from near the gas leak scene began returning home after the area was secured.
No injuries were reported because of incident.
LOUISA SCARE
If that were not a harrowing enough problem for local emergency officials, minutes after the gas leak in Fallsburg was reported, Lawrence County E-911 received a call of another possible gas leak and a reported gas smell in Louisa in the area of Bird Hayes Manor.
Units from the City of Louisa Fire Department arrived on to the scene after being dispatched by E-911 and began investigating the area. After about an hour of searching, nothing was found and all units cleared and left the scene.
