Hollywood gas leak shut off; streets reopen after repairs

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A ruptured gas line under Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood was repaired Sunday morning and residents were allowed back into their homes.

Around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, crews with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power punctured a marked six-inch gas line with a backhoe while installing a water sample on a water main in the 1700 block of N. Cahuenga Boulevard.

The leak affected four blocks between the 101 Freeway and Hollywood Boulevard and caused more than 100 people to be evacuated from their homes in six nearby buildings.

About 86 of those evacuees were housed at a shelter at the Poinsettia Recreation Center opened by the American Red Cross and the Department of Parks and Recreation.

According to the Southern California Gas Company, crews had to dig under the pavement to access the line's valves. The gas was shut off around 5 a.m. Sunday.

Residents were allowed back into their homes shortly after 8 a.m. Some residents spent the day without heat or hot water.

"We don't have no hot water right now. I don't know for how long, but I'm just glad to be home. I want to sleep in my bed. It's better than being in the shelter," resident Esperanza Hernandez said.

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters checked the gas levels to make sure the homes were safe.

"We just want to give the residents the utmost confidence that this building is clear and it's safe to live in again," LAFD Capt. Daniel Curry said.

No injuries or fire were reported during the leak. The roads between Yucca Street and Hollywood Boulevard have since reopened.