Yuma, Arizona - On Tuesday August 7, just after 10:00 am, a broken gas line was reported in the area of the 500 block of West 18th Street. Arriving Yuma Fire Department personnel found that a half inch diameter gas line had been broken by a backhoe in the alley between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue just south of 18th Street. A construction crew had been doing work in the alley when the line was hit.
YFD personnel along with Yuma Police Department personnel and construction workers closed off the immediate area. As a precaution, six homes closest to where the gas was leaking were evacuated. St. Francis School, 700 West 18th Street, is a short distance away but outside the area that was closed down and operations at the school were not interrupted.
Firefighters stood by in protective gear and hose lines while Southwest Gas company personnel worked to clamp off the line and shut off the flow of natural gas. Residents were able to return home shortly after 11:00 am. There were no injuries and only the gas line itself was damaged.