Gas Leak Forces 4-Block Evacuation, Traffic Headaches

A natural gas leak in central Hollywood today led to traffic congestion and the evacuation of four square blocks between the Hollywood (101) Freeway and Hollywood Boulevard.

More than 100 people and 10 pets were evacuated from six buildings, after a 6-inch pressurized methane gas line was damaged, Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The leak was reported at 11:28 a.m. at 1776 N. Cahuenga Blvd., at the southeast corner of Yucca Street, according to the LAFD.

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The line was ruptured during digging by a DWP crew, department spokeswoman Carol Tucker said. The Southern California Gas Company had reported earlier that the crew was from a third-party contractor.

The markers showing where the line was located were more than three feet off, Tucker said.

The markers were done by a company called Underground Service Alert, according to Tucker.

Cahuenga Boulevard was closed to traffic at Yucca Street, one block north of Hollywood Boulevard. Buildings evacuated for precautionary reasons were bounded by Franklin Avenue to the north, Ivar Avenue to the east, Wilcox Avenue to the west and Hollywood Boulevard to the south.

The situation would probably not be fixed before 8 p.m., according to the LAFD.

Southern California Gas Company spokeswoman Ann Silva said crews had to dig under pavement to access the line’s valves.

There was no fire and no one was injured, although a woman from one of the affected buildings was evaluated for respiratory discomfort. She did require transportation to a hospital, firefighters said.

The odorized natural gas could be smelled by motorists driving by on the nearby 101 Freeway, a witness told City News Service.

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City News Service