An accidental gun shot to an above ground natural gas pipeline in the Blue Diamond Camp community of Pathfork in Harlan County caused residents to be evacuated Saturday evening.

“We received a 911 call regarding a gas leak in the Pathfork community,” said Kentucky State Police Public Affairs Officer Walt Meachum. “We responded from Post 10 to evacuate residents and see if anyone was in danger. We then assisted David McGill, Harlan County Emergency Management director, to clear the area until Daugherty Petroleum could get there and shut down the pipeline.”

McGill said he got a call Saturday afternoon around 5:30 p.m. from the state police saying someone had shot a gas line and there was a gas leak in the Pathfork community. McGill said he immediately had KSP dispatch the Wallins Volunteer Fire Department, along with the Harlan County Sheriff’s Office. He said KSP, the fire department and the sheriff’s department started a quarter mile evacuation just as a precautionary measure.

McGill said shelters were set up Blackmont and Pathfork for the evacuees to stay until the situation was safe for them to return to their homes.

McGill said he knew only that it was a high powered rifle that was involved and there was only one hole in the line.

“It was an accident. Someone was target practicing and a bullet ricocheted hitting the pipeline,” said McGill. “They were the ones that actually called 911 and reported this.”

Larry Roark said it was his son and another boy who were target practicing on his property when this happened.

“It was about a six or eight inch pipe,” said Jackie Wilder, resident of Blue Diamond Camp in Pathfork. “We were all outside standing and the police came going door to door, evacuating everyone saying we had to leave.”

McGill said responding agencies included the Kentucky State Police, Harlan County Emergency Management, Bell County Emergency Management Services, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, Harlan County Sheriff’s Chaplains Corps, Wallins Volunteer Fire Department and LifeCare Ambulance Service. McGill later said everyone was back in their homes at about midnight Saturday night.