A gas leak resulted in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to evacuate two apartment buildings in Brentwood on Wednesday.
The incident occurred around 1:45 pm in the 2100 block of Sand Creek Road and evacuations began around 2:00 pm. By 2:34 pm, the gas line was secured.
Battalion Chief Jeff Burris stated a contractor was digging and struck a gas line 3-feet under the soil causing a gas leak. The first arriving unit observed the scene and determined evacuations were needed which resulted in two buildings being evacuated.
He explained the dangers of a gas leak.
“The gas can pool underground areas, such as sewers, or under a structure, can find an ignition source and explode,” stated Burris.
PG&E: Gas safety tips
If you smell natural gas or suspect an emergency, leave the area now and call 9-1-1.
If you see downed powerlines, stay away. Don’t exit your car or home. Call 9-1-1. Then call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
- 24-hour Customer Service Line: 1-877-660-6789
- 24-hour Power Outage Information Line: 1-800-PGE-5002 (1-800-743-5002)
Safety is our highest priority. Follow these safety tips to keep yourself and your family safe.
- Never use a flashlight, match or candle to look for gas leaks, and never turn electric switches on or off if you suspect a gas leak.
- Do not store flammable materials such as mops, brooms, laundry and newspapers near your water heater, furnace, oven, range or any gas appliance.
- Do not store combustible materials such as paints, solvents and gasoline in the same room as your water heater, furnace, oven, range or any gas appliance.
- Stock your kitchen with a fire extinguisher.
- If a pilot light is out, shut off the gas at the appliance gas shutoff valve. Wait five minutes to let gas disperse before trying to relight the appliance pilot light.
- Keep an adjustable pipe or crescent wrench or other similar tool near your main shutoff valve so you don’t have to search for one in times of emergency.
According to PG&E, call 811 before you dig. For more information: https://usanorth811.org/
