LEETONIA (WKBN) – Right now, workers with Columbia are going door to door attempting to restore service to homes.

Columbia now needs to go into each home and business to perform a safety check.

The scene was cleared nine hours later, and residents have returned home after a gas leak in Leetonia forced evacuations in the area of Lisbon and Somer streets on Wednesday afternoon.

The assistant fire chief confirmed at 10:50 that the scene has been cleared and all residents are back in their homes with electric power back on and gas being reintroduced. Lisbon Street reopened Thursday morning.

Around 2 p.m. On Wednesday, crews digging in the area hit a gas transmission line, and initially, gas had leaked into the sewer system. The area was evacuated within a 500-foot radius, with some people evacuated to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Gas and power were shut off completely for 250 customers.

Resident Jessica Greathouse was concerned for her safety as she waited to learn what came next.

“I was definitely worried, especially when I woke up in my house, and I could smell gas inside my home when I wasn’t even on the street that was evacuated yet, so that worried me a bit,” Greathouse said.

Greathouse lives on the street over from Somer. She thought it was just her home, so she began wandering around the neighborhood.

Eventually, she had to pick up her kids from school, and that’s when she noticed something was off.

“I came out to pick up the kids, and the 18 fire trucks, and I couldn’t even get back into my house to get my cats for a moment, and yeah, so it was kind of scary,” Greathouse said. “The firemen told me that if I could smell the gas in or around my home, that it would be best to leave. So, I decided to go ahead and get out and go to my daughter’s on Columbia here,” Greathouse said.

At Wednesday’s village council meeting, Mayor Kevin Siembida said the village was helping relocate any displaced people for the time being.

“Columbia Gas will be giving out further statements, and we’ll be relocating people to overnight, to a hotel if they need to be,” Siembida said.

Resident Suzanne Tobuck was on her way home and didn’t realize anything was going on until people called her asking if she was alright. She just hopes everyone can stay safe for the time being.

“I hope that they get it resolved. I hope everybody is okay,” Tobuck said.

USIC, Columbia Gas and the Leetonia and Columbiana fire departments responded to the scene.