A homeowner doing yard work ruptured a natural gas line in West Hazel Dell on Wednesday afternoon.
Clark County Fire District 6 and Northwest Natural Gas personnel responded to reports of an gas smell outside in the 1100 block of Northwest 79th Circle shortly after 1 p.m. Northwest Natural Gas personnel repaired a leak within 10 minutes of arriving.
A resident who was attempting to dig around a tree decided to use a saw to get through the roots and caused the leak, said Dawn Johnson, spokeswoman for Clark County Fire District 6.
Nearby homes were notified but not evacuated.
“There’s a lesson to be learned here: Call before you dig,” Johnson said. “Not only for safety reasons, but it’s the law.”
Anyone who plans to dig should call 811 two business days before digging to arrange for technicians to come to the scene and mark underground lines, cables and pipes.
