Newport firefighters respond to gas leak at office building

April 5, 2014 | 4:31 p.m.

About half a dozen units from the Newport Beach Fire Department responded to a loud gas leak that sparked an evacuation Saturday afternoon, but the quick reaction of a landlord brought the situation under control, a fire official said.

A construction crew working in the lobby of an office building at 610 Newport Center Drive accidentally drilled into a 4-inch gas line around 2:20 p.m., NBFD Division Chief Ron Gamble said.

The resulting leak was so loud you could hear it from a gym across a small courtyard from the building, according to Gamble.

"That's a pretty big gas line," he said.

The Irvine Co., which owns the office building, acted quickly by calling 911, shutting off the gas and telling anyone inside to evacuate, according to the NBFD.

When the fire crews, including 21 emergency personnel, arrived, they could smell the leak but found minimal gas readings on the first few floors of the building.

After determining it was safe, the NBFD stopped the evacuations, and crews repaired the gas line.

"What escalated really quick also came down really quick too," Gamble said.

Jeremiah Dobruck

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Newport firefighters respond to gas leak at office building