WOODLAND HILLS—Four homes were evacuated on Wednesday, August 3, after a tractor hit a gas line and started a fire.
The Los Angeles Fire Department indicated the tractor hit a gas line just after 1 p.m. The flames quickly spread to the tractor, a tree and fence. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power turned off the gas line within 30 minutes of the incident. Parts of Shoup Avenue were blocked off until around 4:15 p.m., according to reports.
Firefighters stayed on the scene to ensure that the remaining hot ashes did not reignite a fire in the dry brush nearby. There were no reports of any injuries or damage to homes in the area.
At the time of the accident, the crew was installing an 8-inch fire service to the adjacent property. SoCal Gas Company was on site to shut-off gas supply in the area.
Four houses were temporarily evacuated. Other homes on three sides of the fire were not evacuated, as the fire did not pose a threat to those homes fire officials noted.
“All scheduled, non-emergency, underground construction by LADWP are approved in advance and happens only after utility lines are marked by the utility owner, or its contracted entity. At this time, the incident is under investigation to determine why the gas line was struck.
The safety of employees and the public is LADWP’s top priority. We are working with emergency response crews on scene to determine the cause and will provide further information to the public as it becomes available,” said the LADWP in a statement.
By Jonatahn Mintz and Donald Roberts
