Local News in Brief : Source of Gasoline Leak May Never Be Found, Officials Say

Fire officials said Monday they may never pinpoint the source of a dangerous gasoline leak that caused several minor explosions and forced the evacuation of about 200 Mission Hills residents from their homes Saturday.

But officials now suspect the gasoline was illegally dumped down the toilet or drain of a business or private residence in the area, said Los Angeles Assistant Fire Chief Bill Morsch.

Officials speculate the gasoline was dumped by a resident flushing out old or contaminated fuel from a large boat or small plane.

Suspicions that the leak was caused by one of two high-pressure, crude-oil pipelines near the site were dispelled Sunday after the owners of the pipelines, Atlantic Richfield Oil Co. and Chevron USA Inc., conducted tests and found the pipelines were intact, Morsch said.

The pipelines are located near Arleta Avenue and Ducat Street, officials said.

Officials also checked for underground spills from several service stations in the area but failed to find any leaks, Morsch said.

“So we’re back to square one. Unless it happens again, we will never know the cause,” he added. “We suspect it was an illegal dump but obviously, we won’t be able to prove it unless it happens again. If it was a one-time dump, we’ll never know.”

Officials have said they believe several hundred gallons of gasoline leaked into the sewer system.

Residents of more than 100 homes in the Mission Hills neighborhood near the Golden State and Simi Valley freeways were evacuated Saturday night because of the gasoline leak, which first became evident when fumes emanated from toilets, manhole covers and sewer vents.

No injuries resulted from the explosions, and only minor damage was reported in three homes when flames erupted near sewer lines.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes early Sunday after fire officials diluted the gas with a light foam.