By Corey Jones
Topeka Capital Journal – September 11, 2013
An underground gas line caught by an auger from a company installing a utility pole Wednesday morning in Holton prompted isolated evacuations as a precautionary measure until the leak was capped off a couple of hours later.
Holton Police Chief Gale Gakle said a local utility company was digging a hole to put in a utility pole in an alley behind the 300 block of Pennsylvania when the incident occurred around 11 a.m. Gakle said a gas line “that failed to be marked” was caught by an auger.
The line was a “little pressure line” to one of the residences across the alley, he said.
Residences and a local senior center in the area were evacuated to err on the side of caution. Nearby restaurant Big Mike’s voluntarily shut down for the day.
Gakle said Kansas Gas Service employees were able to cap the leak around 1:15 p.m.
In addition to the Holton Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Holton Fire Department, Jackson County EMS and local emergency management assisted at the scene.
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