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Hazmat, Neighbors on Alert After Gas LeakHazmat and utility crews have been working overnight to contain a gas leak in South Austin. People living near the 1300 block of Kinney Avenue, between Barton Springs and Lamar, were alerted to the situation by first responders, and roads were shut down.Although the fire department cleared out around 3 a.m., it is still an active scene as Texas Gas Service crews work to repair the damaged line and road blocks are in place.Firefighters alerting neighbors, Hazmat keeping a close eye on the air quality, and utility crews working to shut off water and gas lines after a leak: this was the scene on Kinney overnight. AFD says it was all caused by Austin Water crews working on a line in the area when they accidentally hit a four-inch gas line. Thayer Smith, a battalion chief with the Austin Fire Department, says AFD gets about four or five gas leak calls every single day. Most of them, Smith says, are caused by human error.Almost all of them, said Smith. Some you get with the ground shifting from the weather, but this one usually you'll get somebody hit a gas line in the yard with a shovel, putting in fence or doing or working the yard or that sort of thing, so they're very common.So who picks up the tab? Another fire official told us it depends on whether or not the gas line was correctly marked. If it was marked, the official says Austin Water would foot the bill.AFD officials don't know how old the lines are or how much water was lost.
