Construction work on Pajaro Street in Salinas cut a gas line at 8:17am Friday, according to Pacific Gas & Electric.
Salinas fire and police officials evacuated all tenants of 209 Pajaro St., the office building that houses Alvarez Technology Group and Pierson & Associates Insurance.
"The first priority for us is safety," PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith says. "[After evacuating], we go about sealing the blowing gas off and making repairs."
Smith doesn't know who it was that was digging this morning and cut through PG&E's line, but says this incident reinforces a lesson utilities are constantly trying to hammer home: Dial 811 before you do any digging.
That's the step that results in those neon-colored lines spray-painted onto sidewalks and streets, showing workers where not to go.
UPDATE: PG&E workers successfully sealed the gas line at 11:09am.
"It's critically important that takes place," Smith says. "That allows us and other utilities to go out and mark the line, so folks can avoid making contact with lines underground, whether it's telephone lines, cable television lines, or our lines."