Los Banos residents return home, gas leak contained

Los Banos residents living near L Street returned to their homes Wednesday after a gas leak forced them from their neighborhoods.

The leak was caused by independent contract workers replacing a water line who apparently hit a two-inch gas line, according to the Los Banos Fire Department. Public Works Director Mark Fachin said city workers were not on the scene at the time the leak occurred.

The leak was reported at 8:41 a.m. and the Los Banos fire and police departments evacuated homes on L Street from Fourth Street to Center Lane. Fourteen residents and two dogs were taken to the Los Banos Community Center, some residents chose to shelter in place and others left the area on their own. Assistant Fire Chief Mason Hurley said about 50 people in total left their homes .

Pacific, Gas & Electric was called to assist with fixing the leak.

Diane Tanner, who lives on L Street near Fourth Street, said she was returning home from an early-morning shopping trip when she was stopped by police and told she had to go to the community center.

“The main thing is that I don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Tanner said.

Isabel Regino said the fire department woke her family up by knocking on the door to inform them of the leak. She said she doesn’t have a car and decided the Los Banos Community Center was her best option.

“Once I opened the door the odor was strong, going all up in the house. I got scared, I had my kids with me. I have a 1-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 13-year-old, I decided we had to go,” Regino said.

The evacuation lasted about two hours.

This story was originally published June 24, 2015 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Los Banos residents return home, gas leak contained."