ANTIOCH, Tenn. — Some residents in an Antioch neighborhood have been forced to leave their homes for multiple days after high gas levels were detected following a few days of blasting at a nearby construction site.
Mary Akers is one of many parents raising young children in Burkitt Ridge, a neighborhood she describes as close to Nolensville and family friendly. But something invisible has been causing major problems.
"We were told by the fire department yesterday morning that we should evacuate, that it was unsafe," Akers said.
Early Saturday morning, the fire department evacuated a nearby apartment building situated close to a construction site after detecting dangerous gas levels.
Click here for more information about that evacuation: Nashville apartment building remains unsafe after gas leak forces evacuations
Investigators are still working to determine the cause, but a geologist consulted by fire crews believes construction work disturbed a methane pocket.
Because Akers lives nearby, she asked firefighters to check her home — and that's how she learned she needed to leave.
That means she likely spent at least a day in a home with elevated gas levels with her two young children without knowing it.
"They found high levels of gas in our home, and if we hadn't communicated with them, we wouldn't have known," Akers said.
Those elevated gas levels pose serious risks for young children and pets.
Chris Parker, who also has two young kids and lives even closer to the construction site, said he received a knock on his door early Saturday morning from firefighters.
"They tested levels and they were high and we were told to get out," Parker said.
Both Akers and Parker said they have been frustrated by a lack of consistent communication from their homeowners association about when it will be safe to return.
I reached out to the neighborhood's HOA and the builder for answers but did not immediately hear back. After my interviews were conducted, Akers and Parker did receive additional emails from the builder and HOA — but a clear timeline for when families can safely return home with their children remains uncertain.
"There is an indefinite timeline of how long this is going on," Akers said.
In the meantime, the costs of being displaced continue to mount.
"We can only finance this for so long, you know, staying at hotels and Airbnb's. So not knowing when we might have some financial relief is definitely an anxiety for us as well," Parker said.
If I do receive a statement from their HOA or the builder of the community, I will update this web article with that information.
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