A significant natural gas leak caused the evacuation of three homes in northwest Lincoln on Monday afternoon.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Leo Benes said crews arrived at 12:30 p.m., but that it took them a while to find the leak. They discovered it in an alley near 615 N.W. Saunders St. between Cornhusker Highway and Saunders Street.
A utility company subcontracted by the city to install fiber-optic cables hit the gas line, causing the leak, Benes said.
No one was hurt, but Benes said crews asked neighborhood residents to stay clear of the area. A nearby day care kept the kids inside. The incident also caused some traffic issues as parents tried to pick up kids from West Lincoln Elementary School.