"The homeowner was using a gas auger to drill some fence holes to install a privacy fence and he struck a natural gas line that feeds the residential area of this neighborhood," said Battalion Chief Kevin Foley.
A few people were asked to leave the area of the leak, or to shelter in their homes as a precaution, but the natural gas was dissipating so there was not a specific hazard for residents, Foley said.
The gas pipe that was struck was a low-pressure residential line, and the electric line cut was only believed to have impacted the resident's service, Foley said.
Vectren and Dayton Power & Light responded to the scene, and as of about 10:45 p.m. Vectren was waiting on a back hoe to reach the site of the leak -- about 2 to 3 feet down -- to shut off the gas, Foley said.
In the yard, there were marks that apparently were to indicate the presence of gas lines. However, there were no marks in the area of the breach.
"The homeowner did the right thing. He notified the proper authorities prior to digging and the area was marked," Foley said. "To my knowledge he was not near that area, so I'm not exactly sure on the circumstances of why the gas line was struck."
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