The Gamma Phi Beta sorority house was evacuated Thursday morning because of a suspected gas leak connected to Thursday’s power outage across Eugene.
The house, located on East 10th Avenue and Hilyard Street near Broadway, was part of the area affected by the outage, which also included Knight Library and Oregon Hall.
Gamma Phi Beta house mother Marcia Furtney said the gas alarms in the house went off directly because of the power being down.
“We did not have a gas leak; everything that happened was the cause of a power outage,” Furtney said.
Furtney also described the outage’s effect on the surrounding area near the house.
“There was a power problem; it affected the stoplights, everything,” Furtney said. “Parts of downtown were down too — a lot of businesses closed. I guess Starbucks was the one place on Broadway that was open.”
University sophomore Kelsie Hickcox was impressed by fellow resident Ella Butler’s initiative when she noticed something went awry.
“She ran through the house to make sure all the girls got out of the house and called 9-1-1,” Hickcox said. “I think it was handled really well by the girls … better safe than sorry. You never know when it’s an emergency.”
Hickcox also said that what they noticed as a gas leak was connected to the stove pilot light going off because of the outage.
This generated a quick response from Eugene city services. After residents called 9-1-1, Furtney said people from the fire department and those who respond for gas-related incidents showed up promptly.
“The substation went out; the power went off … everything was within a sequence, but everything was taken care of right away. Our city did well,” Furtney said.
Thousands of community members and University students were without power Thursday morning. The outage started at approximately 8:45 a.m., spanning over downtown Eugene, the South University neighborhood and parts of campus.
Although the Eugene Water and Electric Board does not know specifics as to why power was suddenly lost over such a large area, company spokesperson Joe Harwood said a witness reported spotting a large bird jumping from a nest on a large power line in Alton Baker Park. The specific transmission line feeds power to the Willamette Substation, which powers both downtown and the University area.
Power was restored at approximately 10 a.m. Thursday.
Hickcox said she thought the experience was handled well by the others in her house.
“It was a good experience of sisterhood and bonding,” Hickcox said.
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