SHEBOYGAN - A gas leak forced dozens to evacuate from their homes in Sheboygan. TODAY'S TMJ4 has learned the company that caused the leak never dialed 911, and is the same company that caused a gas leak and explosion in Oconomowoc last year.

The leak happened after work crews severed a natural gas line at about 8:15 a.m. near North 26th Street and Erie Avenue in Sheboygan. 

The gas leaked into the sewer lines in the neighborhood. Some gas even traveled up into some basements through those lines.

Several homes were vented out to remove the gas. The break happened because the location of the gas line was mismarked.

The leak was contained and people were allowed to return to their homes shortly after noon.

The leak was caused by a Dorner Construction crew that was digging in the middle of Erie Avenue.  The foreman at the site called Wisconsin Public Service, the gas utility in Sheboygan, to report the leak.  However, the crew did not dial 911 despite a company policy to do so.

Dorner Construction drew criticism for the way their crew handled a gas leak in Oconomowoc in 2008.  In that case, the leak led to a massive natural gas explosion that leveled First Baptist Church. 

Dorner employees called the gas company at the time of the Oconomowoc leak but did not call 911.  Oconomowoc officials criticized Dorner for not calling first responders directly.

After the Oconomowoc incident, Dorner's attorney says the company wrote clear policies for crews to follow.  In those policies, crews are instructed to stop working and dial 911 if they ever break a gas line while digging.

However, Dorner's Green Bay based attorney said the crew in Sheboygan decided to break protocol and call the gas utility first because the crew believed the gas utility crews were closer to the site of the leak. The gas utility then took responsibility for dialing 911.

Sheboygan's Fire Chief said the department was still able to respond quickly to the scene after the gas utility called.  However, he said the construction crew should have called 911 first.  "Because there's a danger of these gasses moving in to residences, creating an explosive atmosphere, we want to be contacted on the forefront of the response," said Sheboygan Fire Chief Jay Lastusky.

After the gas leak was contained, the fire department and Wisconsin Public Service went around checking sewer lines and people's basements to see if they had any gas pooled in those basements.  A gas company spokesman said they had to re-light all the homes and businesses in the area, so they were checking for gas as they went.

"Gas is lighter than air, so it wants to go up," said Ted Vallas of Wisconsin Public Service. "It wouldn't want to stay in the basement. It would want to ventilate out."

When they found the gas, they went with fans to ventilate the homes. They will also be ventilating the sewers.

About 30 homes were affected, while about 140 people lost gas service due to the eventual shutdown of gas service in the area. That gas service has now been restored.

Dorner's attorney said the company is now reviewing whether the employee who called the gas utility before dialing 911 should be disciplined.  However, the attorney emphasized that the company wants employees to have flexibility in the policy if the circumstances warrant a better response.   The company said it will investigate whether it was actually safer for the crew to call the gas company instead of 911.