PORTLAND, Texas — A gas leak at a well site in Sunset Lake Park led to a mandatory evacuation of nearby neighbors this past Friday. The incident has prompted some community members to question the city's emergency response procedures.
The City of Portland posted about a minor gas leak at 11:06 p.m this past Friday, initially issuing a precautionary evacuation for residents and businesses within a 750-foot radius. By midnight, this had escalated to a mandatory evacuation.
"I was trying to verify it. I did not go to Facebook," one resident said.
Neighborhood News Reporter Victoria Balderrama spoke with a neighbor on Causeway Drive who didn't want to be on camera but showed us how close the well site is to her home.
"People heard it blow, we did not and some neighbors down the street heard it." she said.
Portland Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Morris said it was all hands on deck to ensure everyone's safety.
"The immediate response was to close Sunset Drive to protect anyone from going down there, and then Portland then began doing air monitoring. We did air monitoring throughout the incident," Morris said.
With those resources, the City of Portland determined who would need to evacuate.
"So, the citizens that were part of the immediate notification going door to door were residents that were located within 1,000 feet of the well," Morris said. "The thousand feet was determined based on the types of gas that could have came out."
The situation has since been resolved with residents allowed to return to their homes.
"There's no gas leaking. Everything down there at this time has been 100% secured," Morris said.
One worker was injured during the incident. Chief Morris confirmed they've been treated and released from medical care.
