Gas line strike triggers evacuation, road closure in Gatesville

A contractor cut a natural gas line on Baldridge Drive in Gatesville on Thursday, June 25, forcing residents out of homes between N Levita Road and Avenue C while crews worked to make the area safe again. Texas-New Mexico Power disconnected electricity to residences on the south side of Baldridge Drive, and Coryell Community Church opened a temporary shelter for displaced neighbors.

The Gatesville Fire Department closed the affected area and kept personnel on scene to monitor conditions as Atmos Energy responded to repair the damaged line. By later that day, Baldridge Drive remained closed between N. Levita Road and Avenue C, with the shutdown stretching from Carly Drive to Avenue C until Atmos finished its work and moved its equipment.

The disruption hit a city of 16,135 people that serves as the Coryell County seat, where downtown remains centered around the Coryell County Courthouse, built in 1897-98 and still in use today. In a place like Gatesville, a single utility strike can ripple beyond one block, cutting off access to homes, interrupting normal travel and sending nearby families to a shelter on short notice.

Atmos Energy says third-party damage is its most common source of gas outages, including incidents in which a contractor doing unrelated work cuts or damages a line. Residents who smell gas should leave the area immediately and call 911, since crews treat that kind of odor as a potential hazard until the line is fully secured and service is restored.