Construction Crew Nicks Gas Line in Bel Marin Keys

A construction crew punctured a natural gas line in an industrial area of Bel Marin Keys on Monday, forcing a brief closure of one building and evacuation of two others, a fire official said.

Novato Fire District personnel received a call at 3:30 p.m. and showed up four minutes later to 55 Leveroni Court to find that a three-quarter-inch gas line had been accidentally severed, Battalion Chief Mark Heine said. The building at 55 Leveroni was unoccupied and is undergoing a remodel, but employees in adjacent buildings were evacuated for about 20 minutes until a crew from Pacific Gas and Electric could shut off the flow, he said.

Novato fire crews checked the buildings to make sure they were free of gas before reopening them. No injuries were reported.

“There was enough breeze that it was completely dissipating before there was any hazard,” Heine said. “Nobody was in any danger.”