Residents told to shelter in place after gas line ruptures in Ojai

Staff reports

A gas line that ruptured in Ojai Thursday morning caused residents in the area to shelter in place for a time.

Fire crews responded when a 2-inch line broke shortly after 9 a.m. near the intersection of Park Road and Grand Avenue, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

By 1 p.m., the leak had been secured and all road closures had been lifted, fire officials said.

A third-party contractor digging with a backhoe in the 900 block of Grand Avenue caused the rupture, according to a Southern California Gas Co. spokesperson.

No harmful levels of gas were present, fire officials said, but people may have smelled the odorous substance added to natural gas so it has an identifiable smell.

More than a dozen firefighters provided support during the incident. Southern California Edison personnel also responded due to high voltage lines above the gas leak, fire officials said.

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