PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria Interim Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger says firefighters have been busy this month — not just with fire calls.
Sollberger says his crews have responded to more than a dozen reports of natural gas leaks just in the last few weeks, and for the most part, those leaks could have been prevented.
“Calling JULIE before you do any type of digging around your home is extremely important,” said Sollberger, to 25 News. “Sometimes, that’s a box that gets missed. They don’t make that phone call and mark the lines properly.”
Sollberger says there’s no one specific time of the year natural gas leaks are more prevalent than another, but he says either way they need to be prevented. That said, you can’t always prevent a leak.
“Rotten egg smell…it’s unmistakable,” said Brian Bretsch, spokesperson, Ameren Illinois, to 25 News. “If you smell that in your house, what we tell people to do is stop what you’re doing, leave immediately, go to a safe spot outside, and call Ameren Illinois at 1-800-755-5000.”
Or, Bretsch says you can call 911.
Bretsch also recommends things like keeping house vents unobstructed, get regular inspections, and change the batteries in natural gas alarms regularly.
CLICK HERE for more tips from Ameren Illinois.
