Natural Gas Leak

A gas leak forced the evacuation of several homes in Penticton Thursday morning.

Around 10 o'clock, Luis Chaves was digging some holes behind a residence on Winnipeg Street when he struck a natural gas line.

“I was hired to dig some holes for this guy, he's building a fence and needed some work done in the back. I came out today, got the holes down to about 30 inches and on the third one, I hit the gas line. Scared the crap out of me,” says Chaves.

He says he stuck around the back yard to make sure things were okay and then helped move an elderly gentleman in a walker down the street.

The fire department responded and helped evacuate residents of the neighbourhood until the gas leak was fixed. They were able to return home about an hour after the leak occurred.

Fire Department Lieutenant Dennis Noble says there is no danger to the area now that the leak has been fixed.

He says natural gas is odorless, so trace amounts of a chemical with a 'rotten egg' smell is added to the gas so that it can be detected. The gas leak from Thursday morning could be smelled a block away. If you suspect a natural gas leak in your home, open all the windows and leave immediately. Call 911 or the fire department.