KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues surrounding government accountability, solutions and consumer advocacy. Share your story with Isabella.
For the second day in a row, a neighborhood in Lexington, Missouri, evacuated over a gas leak. Fortunately, no one was hurt and families were back in their homes Friday afternoon.
But it's the latest reminder of the deadly home explosion that killed a five-year-old boy in April.
Fiber contractors were digging near 18th and Franklin streets when they struck a gas line. The NTSB investigation pointed to the failure of Liberty Utilities to properly mark the underground gas line and flaws in Lexington's alert system and response.
Since April, the city has changed its approach with the most recent gas line strikes.
Up and down Lakeview Drive, flags are planted in yards and holes dug on corners. It's the result of fiber installation.
But after contractors hit two separate gas lines in less than 24 hours, neighbors are feeling fiber-fatigued and are worried about the dangers that can come with it.
For Lexington resident Jim Thomas, it's a weekly occurrence to pull out the fiber marker flags and replace them while he mows his lawn.
"I had to do that all the way down the front of the yard again today," Thomas said. "They don't take them out."
But the flags aren't just a nuisance. They're a reminder of the unmarked gas line that was struck by fiber contractors a mile away.
"I just [don't] want to happen what happened back in April," Thomas said.
Jacob Cunningham's house exploded after the contractors hit the gas line, killing his five-year-old son, Alistair.
Neighbors told KSHB 41 News back in April nobody warned them a gas line had been struck.
"People could have been warned or evacuated," neighbor Sarah Rodriguez said in April.
Lexington Mayor Tom Hughes spoke with KSHB 41's Isabella Ledonne following the gas line strikes on Thursday and Friday.
"That gas smell was just radiating through the air," Hughes said. "There were a bunch of folks that had to evacuate [Thursday] that turned around and had to evacuate [Friday]."
He said the entire neighborhood was told in person to evacuate.
"We were knocking on doors, getting people to evacuate," Hughes said. "They were a little uneasy about that and it didn't help [Friday] morning when we had strike number two."
The City of Lexington also sent out emergency text messages. The messaging program is a part of the updated website program which was approved and funded following the April explosion.
Hughes explained the work for it began in December.
"It's new, and we've been going around trying to get people to sign up," Hughes said. "Evidently, we had a bunch sign up [Friday]."
Hughes and the city administration ordered a stop to all fiber work until leaders are able to meet with fiber contractors, Missouri 811, Liberty Utilities and other contracting agencies next week.
"Safety is the number one priority for our citizens," Hughes said. "We can't have people here in town feel like they're under a threat of a gas leak or an explosion."
Lexington is still investigating what happened in the Indian Hills neighborhood. According to 811 locate tickets, Friday's excavation site and gas lines were marked. But Thursday's area was not marked, though the gas lines were marked as located.
"I really don't think we need anymore fiber out here right now," Thomas said. "We've had three fiber companies in the last four, five months come in."
Neighbors like Thomas are relieved the city is pausing fiber work for now, but are counting on next week's meeting to hold the contractor's and utility companies accountable.
"They have got to be more careful with what's going on," Thomas said. "We don't need what occurred [five] months ago in this town."
A Liberty Utilities spokesperson sent a statement Friday acknowledging the two recent gas leaks:
"We are aware of two recent occurrences in Lexington, Missouri, where gas service lines were damaged during third-party digging activity. First and foremost, we thank the first responders and our crews for acting quickly to secure the area and keep our customers and community safe while repairs were made. Safety is our top priority.
With digging and construction activity comes increased risk to underground utilities. We remind all contractors, homeowners, and businesses: always call 811 before you dig. It’s a free service that helps prevent dangerous and costly damage, and it’s the best way to protect our communities. We continue to monitor the area closely and remain in coordination with local officials on digging activity."
