Gas leak in Hollywood that forced evacuations is fixed

A gas leak in Hollywood that forced the evacuation of about 100 residents has been fixed and residents were being allowed to return to their homes early Sunday.

Crews were able to turn off the gas at 4:34 a.m., said Anne Silva, spokeswoman for the Southern California Gas Co. Work will continue into the evening to repair the ruptured gas line, and some road closures are expected, she added.

Gas has been restored to most of the eight properties that were evacuated Saturday afternoon. Two buildings, the 47-unit Halifax Apartments and CVS Pharmacy, are still without gas, but residents and shoppers were allowed inside.

Department of Water and Power crews were working on a water-quality project at Cahuenga Boulevard and Yucca Street when they accidentally hit a 6-inch natural gas line at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, said Department of Water and Power spokeswoman Carol Tucker. The marker indicating the location of the gas line was off by 3.5 feet, Tucker said.

The line was marked by an outside company, U.S. Underground Service Alert, she said.

Residents were evacuated as a precaution and stayed overnight at the Poinsettia Recreation Center.

No injuries were reported and two residents complaining of “general maladies” were treated at the scene, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humpfrey said.

Crews worked overnight to secure the leak.

“This was not the typical situation,” Silva said. “They had to dig deeper” because of the positioning of the landscape. “We appreciated the community’s patience.”

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