PG&E and Marina Fire conduct safety exercise to review natural gas safety

MARINA, Calif. (KION-TV)- PG&E conducted a safety exercise along with Marina Fire in response to a recent surge in homeowners and third-party contractors hitting gas lines on the Central Coast.

This could be potentially dangerous and cause serious harm to people and property. In 2021, there were 64 incidents in Monterey County where gas lines were damaged due to digging, leading to gas leaks, said PG&E.

"So far this year, 32 lines have been damaged in Santa Cruz County, also seeing an increase in dig-ins, while San Benito County has seen two accidental strikes," said PG&E.

Repair bills could cost customers on average $3,500. A free call to 811 can have someone arrive to the potential digging site and check for gas lines.

The exercise was used to examine strengths and identify opportunities to improve the joint response around natural gas scenarios to protect everyone that could potentially face danger.