Apparent gas leak forces dozens of San Diego residents to evacuate

About 200 San Diego residents were forced to evacuate from their homes in Ocean Beach on Monday evening because of an apparent gas leak, authorities said.

Homes in the vicinity of Bacon and Cable streets and Santa Cruz and Del Monte avenues were expected to be evacuated throughout the night until at least 5 a.m. as crews worked to locate and repair the broken gas pipe, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Lee Swanson.

San Diego Gas & Electric crews were sent out to look for a possible gas leak after a resident on Bacon Street near Santa Cruz Avenue reported a strong gas odor in his garage about 6:50 p.m., Swanson said.

A police helicopter crew used a loud speaker to broadcast the blocks that needed to evacuate and to ask residents to refrain from using stoves or barbecues.

SDG&E crews shut off the electricity in the area when they arrived, Swanson said. Throughout the night they dug into the ground in an alley between Santa Cruz and Del Monte near Bacon Street to locate the broken pipe.

The Red Cross was called to help residents who needed temporary housing.

Hernandez is a staff writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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UPDATES:

10:45 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the evacuations.

This article was originally published at 9:30 p.m.