Gas Leak Shuts Down San Diego Zoo, Other Balboa Park Attractions

SAN DIEGO — A natural gas leak forced closures of the San Diego Zoo and several other Balboa Park attractions Thursday and prompted road closures in the busy tourist district.

The hazardous fumes began wafting through the landmark city park north of downtown San Diego about 8 a.m., when a construction worker accidentally broke a 4-inch-diameter utility line in the 2900 block of Zoo Drive, fire department spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.

Authorities closed the main entrance to the zoo and its parking lot as a public safety precaution. Police, meanwhile, shut down traffic lanes around the site of the leak.

No animals were taken out of the zoo, which had not yet opened to the public for the day, but employees were evacuated from the Wegeforth Bowl, Dickinson Center, gift shops, Reptile House, Tiger River and Treetops and the Benchley Building.

Zoo officials soon decided to keep the world-renowned menagerie closed for the day.
"All animals at the zoo are safe and secure," San Diego Zoo Global, the nonprofit that operates the 113-year-old facility, stated in the late morning.

Just south of the zoo, all buildings along El Prado – including the San Diego Museum of Man, Museum of Art and Natural History Museum – were closed until further notice, as was Spanish Village, according to park officials. The Air and Space Museum, however, remained open, city spokesman Tim Graham said.

About 10:45 a.m., repair crews halted the leak, SDG&E spokeswoman Sara Prince said. It was unclear when natural gas service would be restored to the area.

"We're assessing the damage, and then we'll repair it," Prince said in the late morning.

– City News Service

Original story:

SAN DIEGO — A natural gas leak at a construction site near the entrance of the San Diego Zoo prompted evacuations and temporarily shut down the park Thursday morning.

The leak was reported around 8 a.m. at 2920 Zoo Drive, off Park Boulevard near the main entrance of the zoo in Balboa Park, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

A third-party contractor struck a 4-inch steel pipeline at a construction site which caused the leak, San Diego Gas & Electric spokeswoman Sara Prince said. The zoo is undergoing a redesign of the Children's Zoo area of the park, located near the front entrance.

Authorities evacuated the immediate area. Zoo employees were sheltered in another area on the property, officials said.

Officials initially reported that the zoo would open at 9 a.m., but the park remained closed as of 9:50 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

SDG&E crews arrived at the scene around 8:30 a.m. The main entrance to the zoo and the nearby parking lot were closed while crews continued to work, Prince said.

Crews shut off gas to all areas of Balboa Park, excluding the Museum of Man. As of 10:20 a.m., crews were still working to cap the leak, Prince said.

By City News Service; Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.