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Gas fumes clear out cul-de-sac
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Forsyth County News

A natural gas leak Monday afternoon forced the evacuation of several homes in a south Forsyth neighborhood.

The incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. in a cul-de-sac on Brent Knoll Lane in the Aberdeen subdivision.

Capt. Kevin Wallace of the Forsyth County Fire Department said the break in a 2-inch gas line led to the evacuation of six homes on the street.

No injuries were reported in the incident. Residents were directed to a waiting area a short distance away.

Nancy Patchett talked with her neighbors while they watched an Atlanta Gas Light crew work nearly two hours to fix the problem.

She said the line broke in front of her house when workers from the Forsyth County Water and Sewer Department were trying to remedy another underground problem.

"My water main broke this morning, so then they started digging and we heard it blow," she said.

Patchett said Monday's incident was "a real pain," adding that the water main recently broke three times in one week.

Forsyth County Water and Sewer Director Tim Perkins said the gas line was about 18 inches from the water line being repaired by an operator and that some of the markings were old.

Wallace said residents were allowed to return to their homes about 4 p.m., after workers dug a hole close to the leak and then clamped off the line.

Gas leaks have become an all-too familiar scenario in fast-growing south Forsyth, where several this year have disrupted traffic and forced the evacuation of schools or businesses.

Officials have said such incidents, while regrettable, are commonplace because of construction and the number of utilities that are buried underground.