County Probing W. Hollywood Gasoline Leak
County officials had not yet determined late Friday the cause of a leak that filled West Hollywood sewer lines with gasoline fumes and caused the evacuation of 30 residents for eight hours.
Los Angeles County firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, engineers, sanitation officials and private consultants were still investigating the area surrounding three underground gasoline storage tanks.
The evacuation occurred Thursday afternoon after residents complained of smelling gasoline fumes emanating from their indoor plumbing. Tests of water samples by the sheriff’s Hazardous Materials Team determined that the concentration of gasoline in the sewer lines was great enough to “cause concern for the safety of the residents,” Sgt. Leroy Chastain said.
After firefighters poured a flame-retardant foam into area sewers, the residents were allowed to return to their homes at about midnight.
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