Quick response by the Jim Thorpe Fire Department, police, and borough workers as well as UGI workers, helped avoid a possible tragedy in the borough on Wednesday about 11 a.m. While installing a new water line around the intersection of Seventh and Spring streets on the east side of town, a two-inch gas line was damaged, releasing its contents into the air of the excavation hole. Fortunately, a brisk wind at the time helped to keep the gas from accumulating in a heavy and dangerous concentration. Nearby homes were evacuated until the leak was contained. UGI tested the homes before residents were allowed to return about an hour later.