VIDEO UPDATE: Firefighters Respond to Gas Leak in South Riverside Neighborhood

Update 5:30 p.m. As of 5 p.m. Oct. 28, a water line had been repaired and water service restored to about 15 homes in south Riverside, where Western Municipal Water District crews accidentally ruptured a high pressure gas line in a residential neighborhood, a water district spokeswoman said.

Work crews with the water district struck the gas line before noon Monday on Barton Street between Van Buren and Aptos, sending a geyser of natural gas and water spewing 20 to 30 feet in the air and prompting temporary evacuations of several homes, city fire, water district, and Southern California Gas Company officials said.

"At about 3 p.m. the water line was repaired, and water service was restored to about 15 customers originally affected," Western Municipal Water District representative Michele McKinney Underwood said in a phone interview Monday afternoon.

"They pinched off the gas line, a temporary fix, so the water line could be repaired," McKinney Underwood said on behalf of Western Municipal Water District.

Gas Company crews remained at work repairing the gas line and meters at individual homes, McKinney Underwood said.

"We're very sorry to have inconvenienced people with this problem we caused earlier today," McKinney Underwood said.

Update 2:10 p.m. The gas leak situation on Barton Street in south Riverside could disrupt traffic in the neighborhood through the afternoon, Riverside City Division Chief Mitch Wesche said at the scene.

"A little bit before noon, the . . . Water District was out doing repairs on a 12-inch line off of Barton, cross of Van Buren," Wesche said. "The construction crews hit what we believe is a four-inch high pressure gas line.

"It caused as you can see in the background it caused that gas line to rupture," Wesche said.

"We do have crews from the gas company here, we're in unified command with the fire department and the gas company, as well as the water company is here. We're coming up with a plan.

"This probably will be going for at least two to three hours," Wesche said just after 1 p.m. Oct. 28. "We've created an isolation perimeter, with the help of the police department. We're asking the public to stay away from this area. We've also notified the local schools so parents don't come through this area, as well as children who have to walk home, either the parents will pick them up or they find another way to get home."

Amelia Earhart Middle School is at 20202 Aptos St. and Tomas Rivera Elementary School is at 20440 Red Poppy Lane.

Update 1:50 p.m. A Western Municipal Water District spokeswoman provided details about the gas leak on Barton Street in south Riverside.

"Our crews were out to repair a water line, the service lateral going to the residential property had broken," water district representative Michele McKinney Underwood said at the scene. "So they were starting the repair . . . sometime this morning, probably about 11:30.

"As they were excavating to do the repair, they hit a gas main line," McKinney Underwood said. "Once they inadvertently hit this gas line of course they called 9-1-1. They called the fire department directly, Western did.

"So now on scene, we have fire, we've got the Gas Company, I believe RPD is either here or going to be here to work with traffic issues. They have evacuated some homes."

Update 1:30 p.m. The Southern California Gas Company has released a statement about the gas leak on Barton Street in south Riverside:

"SoCalGas was notified and crews have responded to a report of a gas leak at a construction site at 8969 Barton Road in Riverside," Javier Mendoza, media communications manager for the gas company said in a statement distributed at 1:22 p.m. Oct. 28.

A backhoe belonging to an unidentified contractor damaged a 4-inch gas main, Mendoza said.

"SoCalGas crews are working to safely and promptly stop the flow of gas, repair the damage and restore service," Mendoza said. "There are no injuries reported."

In a phone interview with Patch, Mendoza emphasized the following:

SoCalGas is reminding residents and business owners to "call 811 before you dig" in the yard or at construction sites. Calling 811 or Underground Service Alert will help avoid possible injury or damage to hidden gas lines or service interruption while digging.

Update 1:20 p.m. Western Municipal Water District workers accidentally struck a pressurized natural gas line in a south Riverside neighborhood Monday, sending a geyser of gas and water 20 to 30 feet into the air and prompting evacuations of eight homes just north of Van Buren Boulevard, fire and water district officials said at the scene.

The leak was in front of a home on Barton Street, which was closed between Van Buren and Aptos.

The accident occurred about 11:30 a.m. Oct. 28, water district representative Michele McKinney Underwood said.

Posted 12:30 p.m. City of Riverside firefighters responded Monday to a gas leak on Barton Street just north of Van Buren in south Riverside.

As of 12:15 p.m. there were no evacuations under way, a battalion chief at the scene said. A Southern California Gas Company employee at the scene declined to comment.

Barton was closed between Van Buren and Aptos.