Two homes evacuated in Germantown after yard sign punctures gas line, leading to gas leak

GERMANTOWN -- Two homes on Augusta Court in Germantown had to be evacuated on Wednesday, July 22nd after a gas line was punctured.

Germantown Fire Chief Gary Weiss tells FOX6 News it happened when a homeowner was removing a sign from the yard. The sign punctured a two-inch gas line, under 35 pounds per square inch of pressure.

Natural gas was then leaking into the air -- so the homes that were downstream from the gas cloud were evacuated.



We Energies crews were called out to the scene, and they were able to clamp the gas line to stop the leak.

Then, fire crews assessed the air and ventilated the homes that were evacuated before residents were allowed back inside.

Chief Weiss says when there are gas leaks like this, there is a danger of the gas cloud flowing until it finds an ignition source. For that reason, power was shut off to homes in an effort to eliminate an ignition source.

No one was injured.