Santa Monica Locals Left Without Power, Evacuated After Gas Leak

SANTA MONICA, CA — A crew damaged a natural gas main at a Santa Monica intersection Thursday, forcing authorities to evacuate neighbors in the area, shutting down roads and knocking down power in the neighborhood.

The gas leak was reported about 11:40 a.m. Thursday near Stanford Street and Lipton Avenue, officials said. SoCalGas was at the site working to repair and restore gas service. No injuries were reported and there was no damage to any structures.

"A 16" underground gas main was ruptured during excavation causing natural gas leak," according to the Santa Monica Fire Department. "Firefighters and SMFD hazmat team is monitoring area. Firefighters evacuated 65 households. No report of injuries or damage to homes."

Lipton Avenue from Centinela Avenue to Stanford Avenue and the intersection of Franklin Street and Wilshire Boulevard were closed to traffic due to the leak.

This is the second gas-related incident in two days. A broken gas main was reported in Santa Monica in the north of Montana neighborhood Wednesday, fire officials said.

"SoCalGas crews on scene worked closely with first responders to safely stop the flow of gas," the utility announced. "Permanent repairs are now underway. Some residents continue to experience natural gas service outages."

SoCal Edison was in the process of restoring service to people who experienced electric power outages.

"For safety reasons, Santa Monica Fire Department has closed streets near the damaged main," the utility said. "The Fire Department is allowing residents to access their homes on foot."

SoCalGas crews had to repair the broken main by isolating pipelines around the damaged area of the gas line so that no gas could flow through that area, the utility said.

Some streets in the area will remain closed during the repair work and residents could still smell the natural gas odor while crews are working to repair it.

"While repairs are made to the damaged pipe, additional natural gas meters to homes in that area must be turned off, and those customers will be temporarily without gas service," the utility said.

Customers were expected to have natural gas outages starting Saturday and it's anticipated that natural gas service will be restored to most homes beginning Sunday. Crews will be in the neighborhood to conduct the natural gas service restoration process.

Restoring the natural gas service includes checking appliances in each home, turning on the gas meter for each residence.

"During the restoration process, someone at least 18 years old must be present to allow for an in-home safety check," the utility said. "Safety checks usually take less than an hour, depending on the number of natural gas appliances in the home."

Customers should never attempt to restore natural gas service on their own — it's not safe, the utility said.

"During service restoration appliance checks, SoCalGas technicians will practice COVID-19-related safety protocols, such as wearing masks, asking residents four specific health-based questions, and requesting residents move to another room if needed to maintain a 6-foot distance, per CDC guidelines," the utility said.

All SoCalGas employees are required to carry a SoCalGas photo ID badge for the safety of customers.

"Always ask for identification before letting someone inside your home," the utility said.

Anyone with questions about the service restoration process or about natural gas service can call SoCalGas at 1-877-238-0092.

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