Gas leak clears section of South Elms Street in Welsh

Welsh Fire Department workers went door-to-door Saturday afternoon, asking residents of about five houses in one section of South Elms Street to leave their homes while workmen sealed a gas leak.

A gas main in the 300-500 block of South Elms Street was nicked as a line crew dug a hole for a replacement utility pole. The crew had been trying to restore power to some houses that were still without it, according to Fire Chief John Hall.

For a while, a wind cleared most of the fumes away, Hall said. But when the wind died down, the fumes became more concentrated, and accidental ignition became a concern. When it became clear that they would not be able to seal the leak, Centerpoint Energy workers called trucks from Lake Charles for assistance and cordoned off the area, Hall said.

"They squeezed the line shut and made the repairs," said Hall.

The leak occurred at 11:54 a.m. Saturday and was repaired by 2:35 p.m.

The Elms Street houses in that neighborhood that had been without power now have it, as do about 95 percent of the homes in Welsh, Hall said. Those that do not are isolated cases, generally where Hurricane Rita damaged a single home's lines.

Roger Demary
American Press Webmaster