Gas leaks evacuate funeral, lock down neighborhood

Pacific Gas & Electric workers were busy addressing two gas leaks in Modesto on Wednesday, including one that caused the evacuation of of 220 people attending a funeral.

Several people called PG&E to report “bubbles in the road” on Palm Avenue east of McHenry, said spokeswoman Brandi Ehlers.

“We went out to investigate and as part of our investigation, we determined there were levels of gas in the funeral home,” Ehlers said.

Kristi Ah You, managing partner of Franklin & Downs Funeral Home, said there were 220 attending a funeral Wednesday afternoon when they were told to evacuate about two-thirds of the way through the service.

Ah You said she will work with the family to reschedule the funeral if that is what the family chooses to do.

Gas was turned off in the area, affecting eight customers. Repair work was expected to be complete by 9 p.m. Wednesday.

“The cause is still under investigation, but it appears that excavation work in the area by a third party might have caused this,” Ehlers said.

Earlier in the day, residents in the 400 block of Kerr Avenue in Modesto were ordered to stay inside after a construction crew hit a gas line and caused a leak.

The leak was reported at 8:53 a.m. Firefighters were on the scene within a few minutes and ordered about six residents on either side of the street to “shelter in place,” according to Battalion Chief Rick Bussel of the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Department.

Eight customers were without gas while crews repaired the three-inch steel gas main.

This story was originally published November 19, 2014 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Gas leaks evacuate funeral, lock down neighborhood."