Residents in the immediate vicinity of a gas leak on Santa Barbara’s Eastside were evacuated Thursday as city crews worked to clamp the supply side of the leak.
Santa Barbara Fire Department Battalion Chief Robert Mercado said that a city work crew may have hit a gas line at about 9:30 a.m. on the 1100 block of Indio Muerto Street, and that crews excavating the site were expected to take about an hour to stop the leak.
SoCalGas spokesperson Sergio Jimenez told Noozhawk that no injuries were reported and that the leak in the one-inch natural gas line posed no threat to public safety, though two customers were without natural gas services.
About an hour after the break, Jimenez said, SoCalGas brought the leak under control and continued repairs.
Other nearby occupants were also being sheltered during the repairs, Mercado said.
The first of two fire engines — that responded with a truck and battalion chief — discovered the leak, he added.
SoCalGas reminds residents and business owners to call 811 before digging in a garden or at a construction site. Calling 811 will avoid possible injury or damage to hidden utility lines, he said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.