AURORA | Less than a month after a Aurora natural gas leak resulted in a lethal explosion — a leak Sunday afternoon prompted fire officials to evacuate several homes near Horseshoe Park for about five hours.
The leak and evacuations Sunday raised alarm after a natural gas explosion killed a woman Nov. 18 and injured others in Heather Gardens near Interstate 225 and East Iliff Avenue. The incident yesterday was east of that area.
That leak and others may have been caused by a broadband cable contractor drilling in the area over the past several months, according to fire and utility officials.
There were no injuries during Sunday’s leak, according to Aurora fire and rescue officials.
The leak was initially reported from the 16500 block of East Baltic Place. Homes on a nearby cul-de-sac were also evacuated as fire officials tried to determine the source of the gas leak. Like the Heather Gardens incident, fire and utility officials said they suspected that gas lines were damaged by underground drilling for broadband cable installation.
Residents were allowed to return home about 5 p.m. Sunday.
The gas-fueled explosion last week killed 82-year-old Carol Ross, according to the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office. One Aurora firefighter was temporarily hospitalized for injuries incurred while fighting the blaze, according to a spokesperson for Aurora Fire Rescue. The firefighter has since been released from the hospital.
Aurora fire officials said it could weeks before an investigation into the Heather Gardens explosion makes a determination about why the leak started and how it resulted in a deadly explosion.