Local News in Brief : Gas Station Leaks May Have Led to Evacuation

Gasoline fumes that forced the evacuation of more than 100 Van Nuys residents late Saturday may have come from leaking underground gasoline tanks at two nearby service stations, authorities said Monday.

There is no evidence that gasoline vapors trapped in the sewer system near Haskell Avenue and Vanowen Street were the result of an intentional discharge of gasoline into the sewers, said Sgt. Paul S. Pesqueira of Los Angeles Police Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit.

City health and fire officials will ask the station owners to monitor their underground tanks for about a month to see if there is a significant leakage of gasoline into the ground, Pesqueira said.

The strong odors forced more than 100 residents in a two-square-block area to evacuate their homes and apartments from about 9 a.m. Saturday to 3:30 a.m. Sunday, fire officials said. None of the residents required medical treatment.

The American Red Cross said 92 of the residents went to an evacuation center at Birmington High School in Van Nuys while firefighters flushed sewers with foam and water.

The incident also forced the closing of the San Diego Freeway from Sherman Way to Victory Boulevard for about 15 minutes, from 4:30 to 4:45 a.m. Sunday.

Fire officials said the gasoline concentration in some areas created the risk of an explosion. Pilot lights and water heaters were shut off to prevent the gasoline fumes from igniting.

Pesqueira said even a small leak from an underground gasoline tank can build up over a period of months. The problem is compounded when heavy rains saturate the soil and cause vapors to collect in the sewer system, he said.