Evacuation and shelter-in-place orders lifted in Alameda following gas leak, fire and PG&E officials say

ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) — Fire officials responded to a gas leak in Alameda on Wednesday that forced evacuation orders.

The gas leak happened at the intersection of Fifth and Pacific, and was caused by a third party construction crew, according to PG&E, saying “this incident is a third party dig in.”

PG&E said the gas leak was capped at 3:30 p.m., and is now working on repairing the gas line.

Fire officials about 100 students and personnel, and 30-40 residents were evacuated.

ABC7 spoke to some residents who got a knock on the door to evacuate. Some were blocked in and couldn’t leave with the car, so they had to get out by foot.

“They knocked on the door and said everyone needs to get out. It seems serious, but I don’t know what’s going on, they didn’t give us an ETA or anything like that. I am concerned, but I think we will be ok,” said Munaf Chand, a resident.

“I assume it was one of the PG&E people or someone knock on my door, yelled throughout my building, ‘major gas leak!’ And everyone was evacuated,” said Cole Stewart, a resident.

“Around two o’clock, I got a text message. And I looked at my phone, it was one the county alerts saying there is a gas leak at Fifth and Pacific. And at that point, I didn’t get an evacuation order yet, so I walk out and – cop says gas leak, you have to move,” Haashim Shaikh, a resident.

As of 4 p.m., all evacuation orders were lifted, and residents were allowed to return to their homes.

Division Chief Dave Port with the Alameda Fire Department said there was no immediate threat from the gas leak. But that evacuation order issued was more of a safety precaution.

There were no report of injuries.

The leak was reported around 1:17 p.m.

Crews evacuated the area including students at Island High School, Alameda Child Development Center, and Academy of Alameda.

Susan David, PIO for Alameda, said ACDC students were sent to Paden Elementary School to get them further away from the leak.

An evacuation shelter had been set up at Mastic Senior Center on Santa Clara Avenue during the leak.

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PG&E is reminding people to call 811 for any size digging projects.

Fire officials said traffic will be limited in the area of Fifth Street and Pacific Avenue through Wednesday night, and that PG&E has technicians in the area who are available to relight pilot nights if needed.

Bay City News contributed to this report