4:34 PM: A gas leak that prompted evacuations in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood this afternoon was caused by a construction crew that struck a pipe while doing sewer work, fire and utility officials said.
The leak was reported at 2:26 p.m. in the 4200 block of 25th Street, fire department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said.
The rupture occurred when a third-party construction crew struck a 4-inch plastic main, PG&E spokesman Jason King said.
PG&E crews responded and shut off the flow of gas by 3:10 p.m., King said.
Firefighters briefly evacuated residents from about a half-dozen buildings in the area but were letting people back into their homes as of about 3:15 p.m., Talmadge said.
James Lick Middle School is located nearby, and students and staff there were asked to shelter in place, Talmadge said.
Police said streets were briefly shut down in the area and San Francisco Municipal Railway’s 24-Divisadero line was rerouted around the scene.
3:20 PM: A gas leak was reported in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood this afternoon, prompting the evacuation of nearby homes, a fire department spokeswoman said.
The leak was reported at 2:26 p.m. in the 4200 block of 25th Street, which is near Castro, fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said.
Staff at James Lick Middle School reported a strong smell of gas in the area, Talmadge said.
Talmage said some residences have been evacuated, but a school employee said at about 2:50 p.m. that the school had not been evacuated.
PG&E has been notified of the incident, Talmadge said.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
