Barnhart residents who live on Burgess and Wayles drives evacuated their homes Tuesday night, Aug. 27, because of a strange odor in the area. The Antonia Fire Protection District determined the smell was coming from the sewer system that had been worked on earlier that day, and everyone was allowed to return to their homes, Deputy Chief Bobby Chrisco said.
Antonia Fire was called at 7:36 p.m. because of the smell. Firefighters were unable to determine what was causing the odor when they first arrived and encouraged residents to evacuate their homes, the report said.
Chrisco said between 40 to 50 people gathered outside because of the odor, but he was not sure if everyone was from homes on the streets or if the crowd included those who lived in nearby neighborhoods.
Firefighters called for the Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT) to investigate the area.
“Our gas meters were not picking anything up,” Chrisco said. “But it was a strong enough odor that it was burning your eyes.”
Residents told firefighters the sewer company had been working in the area earlier in the day, putting in new lining. It was determined the smell was caused by resin used to line the sewer, the report said.
Antonia Fire performed forced ventilation in the sewers, and homeowners were told to run water to fill the sewer lines to get rid of the smell, Chrisco said.
He said the smell was gone in about an hour, and everyone was allowed to return to their homes. Antonia Fire cleared the scene at 10:38 p.m.
No injuries or illnesses were reported because of the odor.