Chaos erupted on Church Street as a construction mishap led to a dangerous gas line rupture yesterday, prompting immediate evacuation and a swift response from emergency services. According to a report by the City of Mountain View, a 9-1-1 call was placed at approximately 1:12 p.m. after a front loader struck and sheared off a gas meter, causing an active gas leak.
The incident, which unfolded in the 50 block of Church Street, saw the Mountain View Fire Department dispatch units at precisely the same time the distress call was received, and firefighters arrived on scene within five minutes. The first responders found that the gas meter had been sheared off the utility riser by a small motorized front loader and the leaking gas posed an immediate threat to the construction workers who were present and residents living near the accident site. Thus, two construction workers were evacuated from the site and residents adjacent to and across from the residence on Church Street, along with those on Dalma Drive, were also evacuated. Meanwhile, residents of Olive Court and Fairhaven Court were told to stay indoors.
Mountain View Police Department played a pivotal role, managing crowds and traffic control and shutting down Church Street to all vehicles while emergency personnel worked on the scene. Firefighters took precautions against the risk of explosion, deploying a charged water line to stave off any potential ignition of flammable gas and keeping the scene secure until further assistance arrived.
Relief came when a crew from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) arrived and tackled the leak by plugging the broken gas line, restoring safety to the neighborhood at about 2:24 p.m., after which the evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes; the shelter in place order was lifted, and the ordeal came to an end without any injuries reported. PG&E has taken over the site for repairs and to investigate the cause of the accident while traffic on Church Street was reopened, even though PG&E crews continued working at the site.
