Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Five homes in northwest Rochester were evacuated today after a contractor on a construction project struck an underground natural gas line.

The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Chardonnay Lane Northwest. When the Rochester Fire Department arrived at the scene, crews from Minnesota Energy Resources were already in the process of evacuating nearby homes due to the leak which was large enough that natural gas could be heard leaking from the ground. The utility crews had to place multiple clamps to halt the gas leak because the damaged line was supplied from multiple directions.

The fire department detected gas in only one of the affected homes, which was ventilated and rechecked before the residents were allowed back inside their homes.

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