Emergency crews from Chestermere Fire Services, RCMP and ATCO were at the scene of a gas leak Sept. 9 in the 500 Block of East Chestermere Drive.
According to Fire Chief Brian Pomrenke, crews were alerted shortly after 9 p.m. after a hissing sound and gas smell were detected in the area.
“Crews arrived on scene to find the six-inch gas main, which had been exposed for some servicing through ATCO when they were doing some routine service checks on their tie-ins, one of those excavations was still open,” he said. “We’re still unsure what happened to the six-inch main, but the service line had become detached from the main, so we were having large volumes of natural gas and a powerful sound coming out of the main line.”
Two homes were evacuated as a precaution, and the residents were relocated while the repair work was undertaken, Kalis said. The gas leak was controlled after ATCO representatives arrived with the proper equipment to turn the line off, and residents were allowed to re-enter the area at approximately 1 a.m. Sept. 10.
“It turned out to be an easy fix to get the leak stopped,” Kalis said. “The repair now…the leak will just be mitigated and attached to the service of the home, so they have as little service interruption as possible.”
Kalis said concerns about gas leaks can be directed to Chestermere Fire Services at (403) 272-9878, or directly to 911.
He also encourages local residents to download the Voyent Alert app, which is viewable on the City’s website. The app notifies Chestermere residents when an emergency – such as fires, storms or highway closures – occurs in their vicinity, and provides the appropriate contact information, if necessary.
