INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — On the evening of Feb. 22, the Northern Nevada branch of the American Red Cross received a call that two families had to evacuate out of their Incline Village homes due to a gas leak found on the exterior of the Creekside West complex on Southwood Boulevard.

At about 6 p.m., one of the residents smelled natural gas and called the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. The district quickly arrived, accessed the meter, evacuated the complex and contacted Southwest Gas to fix the leak.

“The meter was buried in snow, so we had to dig down to get to it,” says NLTFPD Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Calder. “Once we determined there could be a smell inside the structure, we evacuated everyone before accessing the meter.”

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Three units fed by the meter lost heat on what was a pretty cold evening, so the fire district called the Red Cross to provide assistance.

Only one family from one of the three units accepted aid. The fire district turned off the gas and then Southwest Gas came out to make repairs.

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Working alongside NLTFPD, the Red Cross was able to provide monetary assistance to help the residents get shelter for the evening.

“The Red Cross enacts a disaster response as soon as they learn of a disaster that has affected people,” says Red Cross Public Information Officer Frank Rutkowski.

He added that with its trained volunteers and resources in place across Northern Nevada and Incline Village, the Red Cross has the capability to respond immediately to any kind of disaster.

“The decision to immediately call 911 when they smelled the gas and to evacuate the structure was a good one,” Calder says.

In a winter season like this, he added, it’s important to keep meters and fire hydrants clear and call 911 if you notice any suspicious smells or activity.

Kayla Anderson is an Incline Village-based freelance writer. Email her at kaylaanderson1080@gmail.com.