Gas service to thousands of Dallas homes halted due to leaks
DALLAS -- Natural gas service will be shut down to thousands of Dallas homes following a series of leaks that has brought repeated evacuations in the wake of a house explosion that killed a 12-year-old girl. Gas service will be discontinued for up to three weeks to about 2,800 homes northwest of downtown as gas lines are replaced and other work is done by more than 120 Atmos Energy crews, authorities said early Thursday.
"Over the last 24 hours, as we continued to try and stabilize this system, we reached the conclusion ... from a performance standpoint ... that we would take the step of shutting down this system," Atmos Mid-Tex Division President John Paris said, CBS DFW reports.
Officials said recent heavy rains and "unique geological conditions" have contributed to a series of gas leaks in recent days. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said one line alone had more than two-dozen leaks.
Officials said crews will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until replacement and repair work is complete.
Before this announcement, hundreds of people had already been displaced and several roads in the area shutdown as Atmos crews dug up pipelines and worked to try and find the cause of the recent natural gas problems. Several fires and gas leaks forced some evacuations.
Residents have been on edge since the house explosion last week killed 12-year-old Linda Rogers.