Atmos Energy technicians responded to a call about natural gas odor from the 777 Main tower in downtown Fort Worth on Tuesday, officials say. The work to repair the line continued into the next day.
Adam Jones
Fort Worth
By Harriet Ramos
Atmos Energy technicians responded to a natural gas leak outside the 777 Main St. tower in downtown Fort Worth on Tuesday, officials said..
“No evacuations were issued, and we are on scene making the necessary repairs,” an Atmos spokesperson said in an email Wednesday morning. “The safety of the public, our employees and our system is our highest priority.”
It’s not clear how other businesses in the 40-story office tower have been impacted by the leak, but Adam Jones, the owner of the restaurant Grace, said it wasn’t able to open Tuesday night. It was also uncertain if Grace would be able to open Wednesday night, he told the Star-Telegram by phone around 12:30 p.m.
Grace, along with the Petroleum Club, are the only two establishments in the tower that use natural gas, Jones said. Both restaurants require gas to operate some of their kitchen equipment. With the gas shut off to the entire building, they will have to wait until the gas line is repaired to reopen.
Steve Till, the general manager for the Petroleum Club, said the restaurant was open for a few hours Tuesday and then closed around 3 p.m. when they learned about the gas leak.
According to Jones, he’s dealt with other gas leaks over the years, but the recent explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel, also in downtown Fort Worth, has made people more aware of the dangers of natural gas leaks.
“I can sacrifice sales for the safety of my staff and customers,” he said.
On Friday, Atmos Energy wrapped up its investigation into the explosion at the Sandman and said it found no indication its gas lines and equipment caused the blast.
The same day, a Musume restaurant employee injured in the blast filed a lawsuit against Atmos Energy, Musume and the Sandman Signature Hotel, saying he complained to the management about an “intense smell of natural gas” at least an hour and a half before the explosion.
A group of eight employees and two family members filed another lawsuit Wednesday related to the hotel explosion.
The spokesperson for Atmos Energy said the individuals who called about the natural gas odor at 777 Main “did the right thing.” Anyone who smells natural gas should leave the area immediately and call 911 and the Atmos Energy emergency number at 866-322-8667.
Craig Trojacek, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth Fire Department, said the department responded to 16 calls about suspected gas leaks Tuesday but none from 777 Main.
Trojacek said he wants residents to know that the fire department is ready and willing to help if they think they smell natural gas, both in public areas and their own homes.