Natural Gas Leak Forces Evacuations In Mission Beach ​

SAN DIEGO — A natural gas leak in Mission Beach forced residents out of their homes in a five-block area through the afternoon Wednesday and prompted a lengthy closure of a stretch of the main thoroughfare through the coastal community.

As of early evening, repair crews were still working to halt the flow of hazardous fumes spewing out of the broken pipeline just east of the beach, meaning that the evacuations were expected to be ongoing into the late evening and Mission Boulevard was likely to be closed in the area at least overnight, officials said.

The disruptions and frustrations in the busy beach neighborhood just west of Mission Bay began about 11:30 a.m., when a construction crew accidentally ruptured a 3/4-inch-diameter utility line while digging at Strandway and Yarmouth Court, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Pending repairs, firefighters evacuated an area bordered by Ocean Front Walk, Verona Court, Zanzibar Court and Mission Boulevard, and police shut down the latter street between Pacific Beach Drive and Santa Rita Place.

There were no reports of anyone suffering any ill effects from the wafting gas.

San Diego Gas & Electric crews worked through the afternoon to shut off the broken pipeline and were still at the task as of 6 p.m., SDG&E spokeswoman Sara Prince said. The personnel expected to have the leak halted by about 10 p.m., she said.

A total of 374 customers were without natural gas service in the early evening, and that number was due to rise to about 1,000 once the damaged pipeline was deactivated, according to Prince.

The spokeswoman said there was no immediate estimate for when all the affected addresses would be back on line.

The closed section of Mission Boulevard, meanwhile, was expected to remained cordoned off through daybreak Thursday, and possibly longer, San Diego police advised.

– City News Service