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CONTACT
Erica Ray, Public Information Officer, San José Fire Department
408-398-9228; [email protected]
San José Fire Department update on Race Street and Park Avenue gas leak
SAN JOSE, California (August 26, 2021) – On Wednesday, August 25, 2021, the San José Fire Department (SJFD) responded to reports of a gas leak near the intersection of Race Street and Park Avenue. The call arrived at around 9:46 am After assessing the situation with PG&E representatives on site, the larger SJFD response left the scene with one engine remaining to deal with any potential danger.
As PG&E further assessed the situation and determined that it was an 8 inch natural gas line that had been hit by a third party contractor. Due to the leak that occurred underground, the gas could not escape and accumulated underground. This posed a greater risk to the surrounding area and the San José Police Department (SJPD) was called in to help establish a safe perimeter and assist with door-to-door evacuation notices.
During the investigation, it was determined that the third party contractor, not affiliated with PG&E, had struck the gas line with mechanical equipment in an area where the utility lines were properly marked for construction work. construction. In this case, the contractor was supposed to hand dig within two feet of either side of the gas line that was affected. The use of mechanical equipment in a demarcated area is prohibited due to the high risk of hitting underground utility lines and causing a dangerous situation.
San José’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Departments set up an evacuation shelter at the Bascom Community Center on Wednesday afternoon. One hundred people sought information and shelter from the center, and thirty-four residents were hosted overnight by the American Red Cross. The Bascom Community Center is now reopened for all residents who need shelter.
For now, the area subject to evacuation orders should remain in place until early evening. A small area surrounding the intersection of Race Street and Park Avenue will remain closed to vehicular traffic indefinitely while PG&E continues restoration work in the area. This area includes the odd and even addresses of 153 to 245 Race Street and 212 Grand Avenue to 102 Park Avenue.
SJFD and SJPD will remain in place until the site is secure.
About the city of San José
With over one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States and is the largest city in Northern California and the 10th largest city in the country. San José’s transformation into a center of global innovation has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world. In 2011, the City adopted Envision San José 2040, a long-term growth plan that sets out a vision and a comprehensive roadmap to guide the City’s planned growth through 2040.
About the San José Fire Department
The San José Fire Department (SJFD) is a full-service, all-hazards metropolitan fire department that provides service and protects a population of over one million people in the approximately 180 square miles of the nation’s tenth largest city. The protection zone includes residential, commercial, high-rise, industrial buildings, seven major hospitals (including three trauma centers and seven emergency departments, the SAP Center (home to the San José Sharks of the NHL), the Earthquakes Stadium (home of the MSL of San Jose earthquakes), San José State University, the Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, three super-regional shopping malls, the Patent and Trademark Office of the United States and the interface areas between wilderness and urban areas. www.sjfd.org.
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