THOUSAND OAKS : Gas Leak Forces Evacuation of Apartments
Contractors accidentally pierced a 2-inch underground gas pipe in Thousand Oaks on Monday morning, forcing the evacuation of about 200 residents from the Shadow Hills Apartments complex.
No one was hurt in the incident, said Sandi Wells, spokeswoman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Contractors installing sprinklers for a new playground at the 61-unit complex at 10:39 a.m. punctured a plastic gas line about 10 feet from the building it feeds, said Wells.
One of the workers called the 911 emergency line and then the apartment manager, who launched an evacuation plan that residents had worked out with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Wells said.
The residents quickly walked a safe distance away and waited on the sidewalk along Wilbur Road, Wells said.
“They were out of there in five minutes,” Wells said. “They were really prepared for anything there.”
Southern California Gas Co. workers sealed the leak within an hour, and the residents were allowed to return about 11:45 a.m., Wells said.
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