The Comanche County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a natural gas leak that forced people to temporarily evacuate their homes Monday night.
At approximately 8:30 p.m., Cox’s Store Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to natural gas leak at the intersection of Northeast 135th Street and East Gore Boulevard, Comanche County Emergency Management officials said in a news release. The fire department, assisted by the sheriff’s office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, ordered a mandatory evacuation due to the hazardous nature of the leak.
Residents within a half-mile radius of the intersection were evacuated, according to the news release. Under the direction of Summit Utilities and Energy Transport, that evacuation was extended to the north to NE 135th Street and East Cache Boulevard.
Comanche County-Lawton Emergency Management officials coordinated an evacuation site for displaced residents at Letitia Baptist Church on state Highway 65, with assistance from the American Red Cross.
Energy Transport and Summit Utilities were able to repair the leak and gave the “all clear” to command officials on the scene at about 3 a.m. Tuesday, according to the news release. At that time, the evacuation mandate ended and residents were allowed to return to their homes.
