Porter Ranch family moves out on Christmas due to sickening gas leak

PORTER RANCH, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It was a blue Christmas for Porter Ranch families living with the smell of an ongoing natural gas leak in their area, especially for one who had to move out on Christmas day because of it.

Rocio Arreola and her family expected to spend Christmas day in the comfort of their home like they have for years. That is until the fumes from the gas leak near their home made them sick with headaches, dizziness and nausea.

As a result, the family decided to leave Christmas morning, not willing to subject themselves to another day of inhaling the fumes.

"The spirit of Christmas has just... affects me because as my wife stated earlier, she's been different because of the stress this has caused for her," said father Alonso Arreola.

The family decided to move on the major holiday because the new place they found was not available until Jan. 1.

The Arreola's said their son will be transferring to another school out of the area after the holidays and felt packing up the family and moving all together was the best thing to do for now.

"I mean, the reason we are making this decision to move even though it's a huge inconvenience is for the future of my kids' health," said mother Rocio Arreola. "I don't want it to affect them long term. They say there are no long terms affects but they don't know that."

A neighboring family shared with Eyewitness News that such a Christmas is one they never thought they would see, yet and still they have hope for a better tomorrow.

Since the leak began on Oct. 23 from SoCal Gas Company's Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, parents said their kids have been getting sick to the point of hospitalization.