Gas flares alarm local residents

TRUMBULL - Local residents were alarmed Tuesday morning around 7 a.m. when 20-foot flame shot skyward from a 40-foot pipe off Interstate 45.

As part of a routine pipeline integrity, Atmos Energy crews and contractors oversaw a controlled gas flaring.

'Flares' or 'flaring' is a standard industry practice to safely burn natural gas that needs to be removed from a specific section of pipeline so that employees can work on the pipe.

People in the area saw a large flame and moderate noise for approximately six hours. The routine flaring also occured in Telico.

The Ferris Fire Department, Palmer city officials and Ellis County 911 operators have been advised of the flaring.

In this case, Atmos Energy crews are retiring a section of unused transmission line in the area.

Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country's largest natural-gas-only distributor, serving about 3.2 million gas utility customers.

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