HAMLET — If you see a flame shooting in the air east of town this week, it’ll likely be from a maintenance project.
Piedmont Natural Gas is slated to perform routine maintenance near 509 Grace Chapel Church Road June 23-29, although weather could impact the schedule.
“These operations will include the use of a flare stack (a large vertical pipe), which could produce a loud noise and result in a tall flame being visible to nearby neighborhoods and businesses,” Jason Wheatley of Piedmont’s communications office said in a media advisory Tuesday. “People in the area also may notice a whistling sound or the smell of natural gas.
“Flare stack operation is a controlled process that will be managed and monitored by Piedmont Natural Gas personnel in cooperation with local fire department resources.”
Similar maintenance was performed in April near Airport Road.
“It’s important for residents to know about this work in advance to avoid any undue concerns and unnecessary calls to 911,” Wheatley said.
Piedmont Natural Gas is a subsidiary of Duke Energy with more than 1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Carolinas and Tennessee.
