Tempe residents in a neighborhood between Mill Avenue and Rural Road, and Broadway Road and Southern Avenue reported a strong odor of natural gas the evening of July 6, prompting dozens of calls to the utility and a response from Southwest Gas and state officials. Authorities later said they did not detect an active pipeline leak.
What happened that night
Neighbors say the smell arrived around 9 p.m.. Several people stepped outdoors and described an intense, lingering odor that made some feel ill. Southwest Gas told callers it had taken more than 100 reports about the smell from Tempe and Phoenix residents and dispatched a crew to investigate.
- Multiple residents reported nausea and discomfort after smelling the odor.
- Southwest Gas crews visited the area and placed traffic cones while investigating.
- Arizona Department of Transportation recorded a disabled vehicle on U.S. 60 near the Broadway Curve at about 8:45 p.m. that night.
“I started feeling nauseous, and then, like I said, these other neighbors were saying they were feeling the same thing, and the smell was super strong,”
The comment above was made by a resident who stepped outside her home and found several neighbors gathered and complaining of the odor. Other neighbors said Southwest Gas personnel suggested the smell might have originated from an incident on the freeway and drifted into residential streets.
Utility response and public-safety context
Southwest Gas crews arrived and investigated the neighborhood. Residents quoted a worker as saying the odor might be linked to an accident or leak on the U.S. 60 that was moving eastward. The Arizona Department of Transportation confirmed a disabled vehicle near the Broadway Curve at about 8:45 p.m., though officials did not immediately connect that vehicle to the odor reports.
Southwest Gas and local authorities said they did not find an active pipeline leak in the area after their checks. For residents, the episode highlighted how rapidly a strong smell can unsettle a neighborhood and generate high volumes of calls to emergency and utility lines.
What Tempe residents should know
If you smell natural gas:
- Leave the area immediately. Avoid using phones, appliances or anything that could spark.
- Call Southwest Gas and 911 from a safe location.
- Report unusual odors even if you think the cause may be elsewhere; utility crews rely on multiple calls to locate and confirm hazards.
| Time | Reported event |
|---|---|
| ~8:45 p.m. | Arizona DOT logged a disabled vehicle on U.S. 60 near Broadway Curve |
| ~9:00 p.m. | Neighbors across part of Tempe reported strong gas odor and felt sick |
| Shortly after | Southwest Gas received >100 calls and dispatched crews; no active leak detected |
The incident underscores how disturbances along major corridors — whether vehicle incidents or utility work — can produce odors that travel into neighborhoods and alarm residents. City and utility officials say timely reporting and coordinated checks are the best defense against hidden hazards. Investigations and public notifications will continue as needed when similar reports occur.
