Whittier Avenue reopens, evacuations lifted after Westside gas leak
A gas leak resulted in the evacuations of five homes and the closure of a street in Costa Mesa’s Westside for several hours Thursday afternoon.
A contractor who was performing work on Whittier Avenue accidentally cracked a 3-inch gas line at 12:30 p.m., police and Southern California Gas Co. officials said.
The Fire Department evacuated five homes on Parkhill Drive and Parkcrest Drive as a precaution, said gas company spokeswoman Denise King.
Whittier Avenue between 18th and 19th streets was closed to traffic until 3 p.m. as the gas company worked to repair the line, police said.
The incident was not expected to interrupt gas service, King said.
—Hannah Fry