Gas line struck at John Wayne Airport

An electrical contractor struck a gas line at John Wayne Airport at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, forcing authorities to block traffic into part of the airport and evacuate some areas, according to emergency responders.

No one was injured by the leaking gas.

By 8:30 a.m. workers from the Southern California Gas Co. had capped the 2-inch line and vehicle traffic was allowed to flow again, airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said.

No flights were canceled, but some may have been delayed as passengers had trouble reaching the terminal, she added.

“It all happened so quickly,” Wedge said.

Crews from the Orange County Fire Authority, the Newport Beach Fire Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Irvine Police Department and Newport Beach Police Department responded to the scene.

California Highway Patrol officers blocked a San Diego (405) Freeway off-ramp to MacArthur Boulevard.

“Everything went pretty smoothly,” said Fire Authority Capt. Greg McKeown. “Fortunately there wasn’t a spark in the area.”

Mike Reicher