On December 13, 2019 at 9:34 A.M., the San Mateo Police Department received report of a potential gas leak near the 600 block of 36th Avenue. Police, Fire, and PG&E crews are collaborating on scene.
Police immediately initiated contact with Abbott Middle School officials. Although the school was not in the immediate evacuation area, police requested the school shelter in place as a precaution.
Dig crews responded in record time and PG&E was able to shut the gas line off quickly, lifting the shelter in place.
The area of 36th Avenue / Southwood are closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic while this situation is being rectified. Residences affected have been contacted by police and evacuations were conducted during the incident.
Although the gas line has been turned off and the shelter in place has been lifted, crews will remain on scene to correct the gas line issue. Please use alternate routes in the meantime.
As a precaution, residents in the area are asked to close all windows and doors. Please avoid the area for the time being and expect traffic delays. Thank you for your patience.
Please use 911 for emergencies only and do not call 911 for updates regarding this incident. PG&E's customer service line can be reached at 800-754-5002.
PLEASE REMEMBER THESE SAFETY TIPS REGARDING POTENTIAL GAS LEAKS:
Although PG&E adds a distinctive “rotten egg” odor to natural gas as a safety precaution to assist in the detection of leaks, you should not rely solely on your sense of smell to determine if natural gas is present. There are a number of reasons why your sense of smell alone is not enough to alert you to the presence of natural gas. Some people may not be able to detect the odorant because they have a diminished sense of smell, or because they have smelled the same odor for too long or because the odor is being masked by other odors in the area. DO NOT rely on your sense of smell alone to detect the presence of natural gas.
In addition to the odor added to natural gas, the following signs may indicate the presence of a gas leak:
- Hissing, whistling or roaring sounds
- Damaged connections to gas appliances
- Dead or dying vegetation in otherwise moist areas over or near pipeline areas
- Unusual soil movement or bubbling water
- Exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood or other disaster
- When installing gas appliances or equipment, the manufacturer's instruction manual should be followed in accordance with the local code authority.
