Arlington fire trucks
Arlington Fire Department
Fort Worth
Multiple reports of natural gas odors around Arlington caused a stir Tuesday, Feb. 10, but officials said the smell poses no threat to residents.
The Arlington Fire Department posted on X that it received multiple calls from residents about natural gas odors across the city at 8:30 a.m. The department contacted Atmos Energy, who said the odor was a result of an over-pressurization of mercaptan at an Energy Transfer compression stand in south Arlington.
An Atmos spokesperson told the Star-Telegram that the issues are unrelated to the company and are linked to Energy Transfer. A spokesperson for Energy Transfer sent the following statement:
“During routine maintenance activities this morning at our odorization station in Arlington, there was a release of mercaptan. While this created a strong odor in the area of the release for a brief time, there were no operational issues.”
No natural gas was released, but the over-pressurization caused a controlled release of mercaptan, which is intentionally added to natural gas since it’s odorless in nature. Mercaptan has a strong, pungent smell even at low concentrations.
Due to southerly winds Tuesday morning, the department said the odor traveled across the city.
At the time of the department’s social media post around 11 a.m., they said there is no danger to the public and no hazardous conditions have been identified. The department said it will continue to monitor the situation with Atmos Energy.
After initially telling students and staff to stay indoors, Arlington ISD is now saying that folks are safe to go outside. The school day will continue as normal, and the district said it will remain in contact with the fire department and Atmos for any new information.
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This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 12:37 PM.
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Brayden Garcia is a service journalism reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Brayden mainly writes about weather and all things Taylor Sheridan-related.