Oceanside

Oceanside police and fire officials evacuated at least 500 people Thursday morning in a residential and commercial area after a landscaper ruptured a natural gas line.

Police allowed residents to return to their homes, just east of Interstate 5 and Vista Way, about 10:10 a.m. after work crews turned off the valves and repaired the leak in the 8-inch line, said Dave Smith, spokesman for San Diego Gas & Electric.

Senior citizens living in a neighborhood called Costa Serna and employees working within half a mile of the scene were evacuated as a precaution, Oceanside Police Sgt. John Krunglevich said. “There was no fire, no explosions, it was precautionary,” Krunglevich added.

Students from El Camino High School also were told to evacuate and were given the day off, the sergeant said.

Gas service to about 100 customers was temporarily cut off, SDG&E; officials said.

David Kusumoto, another spokesman for the utility, said a landscaper was attempting to fortify the foundation underneath a gas pipeline shortly after 9 a.m. An alternate line was placed by the contractor to divert the gas so that it would not get in the way of the bulldozer, Kusumoto said.

But the landscaper struck the alternate line and caused the leak.