Gas leak causes Southfield senior apartments tower evacuation
Senior residents given all clear after gas leak evacuation at tower
A gas line was damaged at the Highland Towers, 25225 Greenfield Road.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Southfield Fire Department evacuated a senior living apartment tower due to a gas leak on Wednesday morning.
The backstory:
The evacuation, which began sometime after 8:30 a.m., took place at the Highland Towers, 25225 Greenfield Road.
There were no injuries and residents were allowed to re-enter the tower about an hour later once the gas was shut off and safety checks were performed.
Officials say a garbage truck on the property struck a gas line, causing the leak.
Southfield Fire Chief Joey Thornington said a three-inch beam was damaged.
"It looks like a garbage truck backed into a gas line and snapped it off at the ground, below the shut-off," he said.
Photos by FOX 2 Photog Jeremy Smith
Thornington said Consumers Energy was able to shut off the gas and firefighters checked all 12 floors with monitors.
"We checked the air quality, it is good, and residents were released to go back in there," he said.
Photos by FOX 2 Photog Jeremy Smith