About a dozen East Central City homes were evacuated for several hours Thursday morning after a 4-inch natural gas line was ruptured, forcing the closure of 1300 East between 500 and 700 South for about an hour.
There were no reported injuries, fire officials said.The line broke near a curb at 650 South and 1300 East just after 9 a.m., forcing the evacuation of several homes, said Salt Lake Fire Battalion Chief Larry Littleford.
Mountain Fuel officials sealed the pipe in about 45 minutes, and the odor of natural gas permeated the air for about an hour.
Littleford said the cause of the rupture is unclear. As many as 20 firefighters with hazardous materials crews responded and a rehabilitation center for evacuees was set up.