SAN DIEGO --
A gas leak forced about 50 people in a Rancho San Diego neighborhood to evacuate early Sunday evening.
A San Diego Gas & Electric crew responding to a power outage in the area reported the smell of natural gas. The discovery prompted the fire department to evacuate 50 homes as a precaution. The odor of gas was so strong firefighters asked people to not start their cars.
Evacuated resident Ed Wiley told 10News, "We fed our cats, grabbed our underwear and left."
Resident James J. Hunter and several of his neighbors had to walk to a nearby restaurant after being evacuated from their homes.
"A little chaotic … they came by and asked us to leave," said Hunter.
SDG&E crews discovered the source of the gas leak late Monday morning in a pipeline on Penasco Road near Jamacha Road. Gas service to the area was expected to be restored by early Monday night.
"The San Bruno thing was on everybody's mind as we were standing down at the corner talking. I was trying to tell people the line wasn't as big as San Bruno but it was still a very dangerous situation," said Hunter.
While it was potentially dangerous, it was not nearly as dangerous as the recent situation in San Bruno, according to officials. The line that exploded in the Bay Area neighborhood was almost four feet wide, compared to the two-inch wide line in the Penasco Road neighborhood.
Still, some people think the disaster in the Bay Area had an impact on the utility's response.
"Within minutes; just adding the fire department and everything … so it definitely was a high priority, so it was the best they could do," said Hunter.
SDG&E and the fire department said their response was typical, and firefighters said the response of people who lived in the neighborhood was very fast.
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