By Will Bigham, Staff Writer
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
POMONA, Calif. — Residents of several city blocks were evacuated from their houses on Saturday morning after a three—inch natural gas pipe broke in the 300 block of Roosevelt Avenue.
A resident called the Gas Company at about midnight and reported smelling sulfur outdoors, Gas Company spokesman Peter Hidalgo said.
“We dug in that area, and we found that one of the lines — a steel line — had actually broken in half,” Hidalgo said. “We knew then that this would take several hours to repair.”
Victor Ramirez, who lives in the 300 block of Roosevelt, said he “could hear a noise like a whistle,” which was the sound of the gas coming out of the ground.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Eric Buege said four blocks of houses were evacuated in the area around Roosevelt and Gibbs Street.
At about 3 a.m., 30 homes were evacuated and 57 residents sought shelter in Lincoln Elementary School.
There were no injuries.
Anthony Holguin, who lives in Roosevelt’s 300 block, said he heard popping noises outside his house shortly before 3 a.m. and considered it unusual.
Holguin said that while he wasn’t sure what the popping noises were, “about 15 or 20 minutes later there was a pounding at the door.”
It was the police notifying him to evacuate.
Holguin and his wife packed their bags and went to stay at a relatives’ house in Alta Loma.
“I did take my valuables — I packed my jewelry,” said his wife, Sylvia Holguin.
The gas leak was repaired by 8:15 a.m. and residents were allowed to return home about 45 minutes later, Pomona police Lt. Alex Rilloraza said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department had one engine company on scene from 3 a.m. until about 9 a.m., Buege said.
Service was restored by noon to the affected homes.
The cause of the broken line remained under investigation on Saturday afternoon.
Outdoor gas leaks “pose no public threat,” Hidalgo said, because the gas is lighter than air, and it rises immediately from the ground and dissipates.
Staff writer Jannise Johnson contributed to this report.