HOUSTON – Houston firefighters along with CenterPoint worked to control a gas leak in southwest Houston Wednesday.
Officials said the leak stemmed from a broken three-inch underground pipe located on Shepherd near Highway 59. At around 1:10, the Houston Fire Department announced that the situation had been mitigated.
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@HoustonFire fighter responding with @CenterPoint to control a has leak from a broken under ground pipe. Asking everyone to avoid the area- Sherperd @ Hwy-59 @FireChiefofHFD pic.twitter.com/rZAs7xLrgs
— Houston Fire Dept (@HoustonFire) August 4, 2021
Some businesses in the area were temporaily evacuated and Houston’s Office of Emergency Management asked drivers to avoid the area of Southwest Freeway outbound and Shepherd Drive as firefighters worked to repair the gas leak. All lanes of Southwest freeway have since been reopened.
A nearby business owner told KPRC 2′s Jacob Rascon this has happened four times since construction started in April. According to the business owner, the first time was when construction crews ruptured a water main. The second time, in May, construction workers hit a gas line, the business owner said. The third time, in June, the business owner said construction workers hit a gas line again. The business owner said this all took place at Lexington and Shepherd.
Please avoid the area of Southwest Freeway outbound & Shepherd Drive as @HoustonFire responds to reports of a gas leak. The outside two lanes will be closed for the next 2-5 hours while repairs are made.#hounews #houtraffic https://t.co/Ndi5ArDpaj pic.twitter.com/nnTe9ZJqcT
— Houston OEM (@HoustonOEM) August 4, 2021
CenterPoint released the following statement:
“CenterPoint Energy is aware of a hit natural gas line on S. Shephard and U.S. 59 that is causing a natural gas leak. At CenterPoint Energy, safety is our top priority and our crews are onsite working with first responders to secure the area. We appreciate our customers’ patience and apologize for any inconvenience.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.