Antioch families still displaced after gas leak forces weekend evacuations

Approximately 30 homes in the Burkitt Ridge neighborhood of Antioch evacuated this week after high levels of methane and carbon monoxide were detected. The Nashville Fire Department ordered residents to leave The Crest apartment building and multiple nearby townhomes early Saturday morning. Although other townhomes showed varying levels of methane, officials did not mandate evacuation for those units because carbon monoxide was not detected.

NFD stated on Wednesday afternoon that residences outside the designated evacuation area are not currently requiring evacuation based on monitoring and assessments. The department believes a methane pocket underground was impacted by construction digging or blasting, allowing natural gas to flow into the area. Officials are evaluating whether some low-level readings represent existing background conditions from years of construction, but a baseline methane concentration for the location has not yet been established.

Carly Scheuer, a mother of two young children, left her home on Sunday after firefighters tested the levels and advised her to go. She took her three-month-old baby to the hospital after he showed signs of carbon monoxide exposure, including bloodshot eyes and difficulty waking from naps. Scheuer said she returned home Tuesday as levels decreased. She noted that many neighbors had their vitals checked or called ambulances. “If a fireman looks you in the eye and says, ‘I would not be in this building, and it’s not safe for little kids,’ that’s mandatory, in my opinion. So that’s been really frustrating,” Scheuer said.

The Parker family, who have a newborn and a two-year-old, remain displaced in hotels and Airbnbs. Lauren Parker said her house is now testing at lower levels after she was forced to leave early Saturday. She said she does not feel comfortable bringing her newborn back until the entire community is cleared. “We don’t know what we’re going to do next. We’ve spent a lot [of money] at this point. Our pockets are only so deep,” Parker said. She added that the family plans to continue moving between temporary locations until officials provide a clear timeline.

RAM Partners, which manages The Crest apartments, said it is offering residents financial assistance to help cover temporary living expenses incurred since Saturday. Ghertner & Company, which residents identified as their homeowners association management company, has not yet responded to inquiries from news outlets. NFD said it is continuing to detect low levels of methane in the area, but the readings have not prompted additional mandatory evacuations.

The construction contractor and property developer plan to excavate a trench to ventilate the gases under the construction site. Those operations are expected to begin this week. NFD said those operations are expected to start as early as Wednesday afternoon.