Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, August 28, 1993                   TAG: 9308280325
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ROANOKE GAS LEAK REPAIRED SAFELY

The leak occurred shortly after 7 p.m. when a man punctured a gas line while digging a hole in his front yard on Chapman Avenue near 13th Street.

Police sealed off several blocks while firefighters worked to clamp the half-inch pipe at the bottom of the 18-inch-deep hole.

Two businesses and one house were evacuated.

There was only a slim chance the gas would have exploded, because it was dissipating quickly, said Art Pendleton, vice president of operations for Roanoke Gas Co. But a lit match, cigarette or spark could have ignited the gas.

"As much gas as was flowing, it would have been a pretty big flame - 10 to 15 feet high, but that's just a guess," he said.

Pendleton said there would be no action taken against the man who hit the line.

"He'll get a letter from us to please call us before he digs," he said.

Pendleton stressed that before taking a shovel or post-hole digger in hand, people should call (800) 552-7001, a toll-free service that notifies local utilities.