A damaged propane tank caused an uncontrollable leak in a neighborhood adjacent to Mt. San Jacinto College Wednesday, prompting residential evacuations and road closures as a public safety precaution.
The hazardous materials emergency was reported just after 4 p.m. Wednesday in the area of West Community College Drive and Heritage Ranch Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said several engine crews and a hazmat team were sent to the location and found a 55-gallon propane tank leaking due to a broken shutoff valve.
Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies initiated an evacuation of 12 homes in the immediate vicinity of the damaged tank and closed vehicular access to the location, according to reports from the scene.
Technicians from the company that maintains the tank were summoned to make repairs, but as of 5:15 p.m., they had not yet arrived.
The hazmat unit was unable to cap the leak.
The exact number of residents affected by the evacuation was unconfirmed.