Evacuation ends after ‘major’ gas leak in New Lebanon neighborhood

People across a New Lebanon neighborhood are now able to be back in their homes after a major gas leak forced them out Thursday afternoon.

As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, the gas leak happened in the area of Hazelhurst Street between Lawson Avenue and Rosetta Street.

“It is unnerving. Having an event to make you leave your house,” said Albert Dennis, a retired firefighter.

He knows the potential dangers of a gas leak, including the one that was just a block over from his house.

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“Something was to go awry, you don’t know if your house is going to be there or not anymore,” Dennis said.

Village council member Charles Cooper lives right across the street from the house where the gas leak started.

“I was at a coffee shop in a meeting and got a text: ‘Don’t come home,’” Cooper said.

Contractors were using an auger to dig post holes for a fence. They were in the backyard of a house on Hazelhurst Street and while digging, the auger is what ruptured a gas main.

“The lines were marked while they were digging the fence post— prior to them starting digging,” said Lt. Joe Hetzel, New Lebanon Fire Department. “However, the line was struck even with it labeled and marked with flags and paint in the backyard.”

At 1:00 p.m., New Lebanon Fire said CenterPoint Energy crews were able to stop the gas leak and get to work repairing that main line. Firefighters said it would take 6 to 7 hours to finish the repair job.

After some tense moments, there was relief that everyone was safe as crews worked on a fix.

“Yeah, Everything’s back. Well, not quite normal, but it’s getting there,” Cooper said.

The fire department said that while people can be back in their homes now, they can expect their gas service to be affected while that repair work is going on.

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