Massive gas leak in Whittier neighborhood forces 75 people to evacuate homes

WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- A gas leak in a Whittier neighborhood temporarily forced at least 75 people to evacuate from more than 30 homes Thursday morning.

Residents in the area said they saw and heard gas coming out of the ground around 1:30 a.m.

"My wife woke me up around 1:30 that she heard a noise. We had the AC running, I turned it off... I saw the smoke coming out of the next neighbor's house and the truck from the gas company was already there," said resident Manuel Covarrubias.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said 32 homes were evacuated along Vicki Drive between Winchell and Balfour streets. Impacted residents were sent to the Phelan Language Academy as crews worked to contain the leak.

Nobody was seeking medical attention and no injuries were reported, but air samples were taken at the scene.

It's not clear what caused the leak, but SoCal Gas says it originated in a 3-inch gas line.

By around 8:30 a.m., the gas line was capped and residents were allowed to return home.