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No injuries were reported Wednesday after a construction company hit a gas line outside an Uptown apartment complex, according to a spokesman for the Dallas fire department.
Jason Evans of Dallas Fire-Rescue said crews were dispatched about 1:20 p.m. over reports of a gas leak outside the MAA Meridian Apartments. A fire department call log showed nearly 20 units responded to the four-story building, located at 2427 Allen St.
According to Atmos Energy, a construction company working near the complex damaged a 1-1/4-inch commercial gas line.
Records reviewed by The Dallas Morning News show Atmos notified Texas811, the agency that coordinates the location of underground utilities, just before 3 p.m. that gas was blowing at the site, and an emergency crew was on scene to address the leak.
The records don't indicate how the line was struck.
While Evans said crews did not detect any gas inside the building, they evacuated its more than 180 apartments "out of an abundance of caution." Residents have been provided temporary housing until the leak has been fixed, he said.
As of 5 p.m., Atmos said technicians were still working to shut off natural gas service in the area.
Resident Emma Putti was working from home when her roommate began pounding on her bedroom door with an urgent warning: Firefighters were outside. Everyone had to leave.
Putti said she grabbed only a few belongings before evacuating the apartment complex.
"I really wish I had brought more than I brought with me," Putti said."I'm just hoping for a little more clarification on whether we can go back tonight or whether I should make other arrangements."
Putti, who is scheduled to move out of the complex in a few weeks, said she hoped residents would be compensated if the evacuation kept them away from their homes for an extended period.
Related: Drill rig gathering soil samples hit gas line at site of Dallas explosion, records show
The leak Uptown comes almost two months after a natural gas explosion leveled an Oak Cliff apartment building and killed three people after a drilling rig hit an underground gas line.
Several survivors of the May 28 blast at The Clyde have since filed lawsuits against Atmos, accusing the utility of mismarking the gas line that was ruptured.
Atmos has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in that case.
Staff writer Sana Muneer contributed to this report.
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