Frazier Park Downtown Evacuated Due to Gas Leak

  • Gas Company Supervisor Tom Adams (center) at the spot on Mt. Pinow Way and Glendale Trail where the gas line was ruptured Monday afternoon. [Meyer photo]

    Gas Company Supervisor Tom Adams (center) at the spot on Mt. Pinow Way and Glendale Trail where the gas line was ruptured Monday afternoon. [Meyer photo]

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (Monday, June 23 at 6:55 p.m.) — The gas leak has been repaired, the evacuation order lifted and the streets are all open.

Gas Company Supervisor Tom Adams confirmed for The Mountain Enterprise at 6:45 p.m. that the gas line was completely repaired  at 6:43 p.m.

According to the Kern County Fire Department, upon arrival earlier in the day, fire crews were faced with a gas leak from a 2 inch pipe. A construction company digging on Mt Pinos Way uncovered a 4 inch steel pipe thought to be the gas pipe to be avoided. Having moved their equipment over to miss the pipe they severed a 2 inch polypropylene gas pipe with their trenching equipment. The 4 inch pipe is the gas main serving the entire mountain community and is connected to the plastic pipe.

The Kern County Fire Department sealed off the immediate area. The Kern County Sheriff’s Department assisted by the fire department evacuated the area to a 300ft radius and turned off any possible ignition sources. Approximately 10 homes and several businesses were affected by the closures.

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (Monday, June 23 at 3:30 p.m.) — An evacuation has been ordered in Frazier Park, along Mt. Pinos Way after excavation for water line replacement ruptured a gas line at approximately 1 p.m.

The street closure and evacuation boundaries, until further notice, are:
Alhambra Trail on the west;
San Gabriel Trail on the east;
Fifty to 100 feet from Mt. Pinos Way on both the north and south.

Frazier Park Public Utility District Manager Greg Keenberg said there was no estimate available for fixing the leak, but the gas company was on-scene working on repairs.

Businesses within the evacuation area include Caveman Cavey’s Pizza, Alpine Lumber and Hardware, Frazier Park Pharmacy and the Bakersfield Family Medical Center.

Frazier Park Market did not close and is open at this time.

Check back at www.MountainEnterprise.com for updates.

This is part of the June 20, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.