Natural gas leaked from a main gas line in Castaic, just east of the southbound lanes of the 5 Freeway near the intersection of Ridge Route Road and Pine Crest Place. It was first reported around 4:20 p.m.
The sight and strong smell prompted safety concerns and shut down the 5 Freeway in both directions. The freeway reopened around 8:45 p.m.
By nightfall, the strong smell of natural gas in the air had mostly subsided.
The area remained restricted as crews continued working, even though officials said the immediate danger had passed.
Fire officials confirmed the leak came from a 34-inch transmission line -- a major natural gas pipe that runs near the 5 Freeway.
They say there was no explosion, even though many people thought that's what they were seeing or feeling.
Officials explained that the pipe was under extreme pressure, and when it failed, the gas was released forcefully, kicking up dirt and debris, which was visible to drivers in the area.
Eyewitness News spoke to Los Angeles County fire officials, who said they did not believe land movement seen in aerial footage above the scene played a factor in the gas leak. They said their initial investigation at the scene would have unveiled that. However, SoCal Gas acknowledged that there has been significant land movement in the area after recent storms, and said they are not ruling that out as a cause. The cause of the break is still under investigation.
According to SoCal Gas, crews safely isolated the damaged section of the pipeline and stopped the leak. They said there is no indication of an ignition or explosion.
Officials said once the remaining natural gas in the damaged pipeline section is safely vented, crews will assess the damage and make repairs.
SoCal Gas said fewer than five non-residential natural gas customers were experiencing outages due to the break.
Officials say there is no longer a danger to the public. No injuries have been reported.
The 5 Freeway was shut down for hours, causing major traffic delays for drivers in the area before it reopened. Some drivers told Eyewitness News they were stuck in traffic for nearly three hours.
A shelter-in-place was in effect for the immediate area as a precaution while crews continued to work on a permanent fix. That included Charley Canyon, Hillcrest and Wayside. Approximately 14,900 people live in the impacted area. The shelter-in-place order was lifted around 10 p.m.
Fire officials say winds pushed the gas south, which is why people miles away in areas like Santa Clarita reported a strong smell. Now that the gas is off, they expect the smell to continue to fade.
All of this happened just days after Christmas, one of the busiest travel periods of the year, leading to hours of gridlock and major backups on the 5 Freeway before it reopened.
Los Angeles County fire officials stressed that there is no danger to the public.
"Because of the potential, you know, we had a potential of an explosion. That's when we said, 'Shut down all immediate freeways.' Our hazmat team is actually testing the area and the surrounding area. They're doing more tests at the site just to make sure. But right now, they got one part per million, which is basically like a single-family house with a gas leak, so in other words, we're safe," Capt. Brian Knight said.
Any rumbling or shaking people might have felt would make sense given just how intense the pressure was inside that pipe when it failed, Knight said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the gas leak.
The gas leak may have been triggering for many people living in the North San Fernando Valley.
Back in 2015, the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility suffered a blowout and turned into the largest natural gas leak in our nation's history. For four months, 97,000 tons of noxious gases were sent into the surrounding communities of Porter Ranch, Granada Hills and beyond.
Residents suffered headaches, rashes and nose bleeds. Pets died, schools closed and thousands were forced to leave their homes and find temporary housing.
Many residents say they are still suffering effects from the blowout to this day.