Downtown Dallas was on alert Thursday afternoon, with emergency crews swooping in to investigate a reported natural gas odor at the AT&T Discovery District. The scent of danger spurred a response from Dallas Fire-Rescue and a hazmat team after a 911 call came in just after 3 p.m. reporting the pungent smell at 208 South Akard Street, according to a news release from Dallas Fire-Rescue, and further detailed by WFAA. Despite the alarming odor, no gas was ultimately detected inside the buildings.
Atmos technicians, alongside DFR's hazmat team, conducted a comprehensive sweep of the area and buildings. The strongest gas readings, interestingly, were found outside—to promptly begin to address the scenario near a manhole, although the specifics of the leak have yet to unfold. DFR stated, "The source of the leak was discovered to be in an area near a manhole outside of the building, and Atmos technicians are currently addressing the situation," reported by Star-Telegram.
Fortunately, this incident did not result in injuries or require evacuations, a stroke of luck considering the recent explosion in the basement of the Sandman Signature Hotel in downtown Fort Worth. With natural gas implicated in that tragedy, authorities are still piecing together whether it was the gas leak that caused the explosion or vice versa.
The area around the AT&T Discovery District has since been cleared for safety, with technicians working diligently to rectify the discovered leak. DFR assures that there is no present danger to the public, and crews will continue to monitor the gas levels until there is thorough confirmation the leak has abated. They have reported, “Crews will continue to measure those gas levels until there is thorough confirmation it’s not present there anymore,” reaffirmed by a DFR statement as told to WFAA.
