Gas leak prompts evacuation of 25 Hellertown residents, utility says - lehighvalleylive.com

Gas leak prompts evacuation of 25 Hellertown residents, utility says - lehighvalleylive.com

A natural gas leak led to the evacuation of 25 people living along a Hellertown street, a utility spokesman said.

John Mason, a spokesman for UGI Utilities Inc., told lehighvalleylive.com residents shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday called 911, complaining of a strong odor in the first block of West Water Street. UGI crews responded and found a contractor working in the kitchen of a private home damaged a fuel line, which caused the leak, Mason said.

Fire officials evacuated the homes before UGI crews arrived, Mason said. There were no reported injuries in the incident.

Mason said the fuel line was later shut off by a responder. PPL Electric Utilities also responded, but did not need to turn power off to any customers, according to Tracie Witter, spokeswoman for the utility.

All those evacuated returned to their homes by 11:20 a.m. Thursday, Mason said.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.