Gas line break forces evacuation of homes on Ann Arbor's south side

by Art Aisner | The Ann Arbor News

Friday June 05, 2009, 8:35 AM

Residents of six homes on Ann Arbor's south side were evacuated after a construction crew struck a natural gas line Thursday afternoon, reports said.

A contractor with Carver Construction who was using a mini excavator struck and ruptured the natural gas line on Trowbridge Court at 2:30 p.m. The crews shut down their equipment and notified residents in the neighborhood.

Firefighters heard gas coming from the line when they were about 150 feet away and said the smell was noticeable, reports said.

Firefighters evacuated six people from their homes, and no one was injured. A potentially dangerous level of gas accumulated in one of the homes, which firefighters ventilated from underneath the structure, reports said.

Utility crews responded to the scene and controlled the leak by 4 p.m. Residents returned to their homes at about 4:40 p.m.