Residents and workers in downtown Oakland experienced tense moments yesterday as streets were shut down and buildings evacuated due to a natural gas leak. According to the Oakland Fire Department's social media post, the leak stemmed from a fueling station on 2nd St between Market & Brush, prompting a response to close off a 3-4 block radius and evacuate four nearby commercial buildings.
Incident Under Control as of 630pm. Scene Update at 3rd and Market from Chief Covington: https://t.co/7Og9kRpvq0 pic.twitter.com/7rxMjDwGoJ
— Oakland Fire Department (CA) (@OaklandFireCA) December 11, 2024
The incident affected traffic and pedestrian movement from Embarcadero West to 3rd St along Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Market Street. The Oakland Fire Department updated the situation as under control by 6:30 p.m., with Chief Damon Covington providing a scene update at 3rd and Market.
KRON4 reported that approximately 50 people were evacuated. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) promptly addressed the issue and shut down the gas line, eventually lifting all evacuation orders. Nonetheless, the cause of the gas leak remains under investigation.
