Everyone thought there was a giant gas leak in LA last night, and Twitter rightfully freaked out
If it smells like there’s a gas leak, there’s probably a gas leak — right? Not quite. Residents from the Cheviot Hills area of Los Angeles fled to Twitter to try and alert Southern California Gas Company of a gas leak in the area. And when they didn’t hear back, they got a little angry. As they should, as natural gas can be a dangerous thing.
Gas leaks are scary since, while natural gas is non-toxic, it can cause an oxygen deficiency at a certain concentration. Pinedale Natural Gas states that 25% to 30% of gas in the air can cause behavioral changes, and higher percentages could make someone incapacitated and even lead to death.
They can also lead to explosions and fires, since natural gas is flammable. So, having a gas leak isn’t a good thing for the environment.
But here’s one thing to remember — natural gas is odorless. The smell of gas is actually added in, to help alert someone if a leak took place. By doing this, the chances for a gas-related incident are lessened.
That smell is exactly why the community took to Twitter, as they knew there was a problem that might get serious if nobody was able to intervene.
Dear @socalgas @MayorOfLA @LAPDWestLA
Please kindly release a statement updating the public on the pungent gas odor
pervading LA. It has been hours and ppl have been left to wonder what's going on and if they are in danger. Please advise. ASAP #GasLeak #LAGasLeak— ❄️🕊️ Sasha C. Airesse 🕊️❄️ (@SashaCAiresse) November 30, 2017
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Bad #gasleak in West LA tonight, people are freaking out and don't know what to do. @socalgas please provide a status as people deserve to know what's going on..
— Jaime Calitto (@jaimecalitto) November 30, 2017
They gotta find this gas leak its been 3 hrs and the smell is really strong to the point im getting a headache #gasleak #westside #everyoneissufforing #marvista
— gabriela aguilera (@Bbygaby27) November 30, 2017
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It's gas. What's mysterious is the lack of information residents are receiving from officials and @socalgas #gasleak https://t.co/wwHWE8arab
— Christina Sumi (@lipstickgoon) November 30, 2017
Has anybody's canary died? #gasleak
— James J. Gutierrez (@jamesjgutierrez) November 30, 2017
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, reports on the smell started at around 9:10 p.m. Eventually, residents they got an answer. It wasn’t gas after all — it was a natural gas odorant spill. So, the community thought they were smelling gas for a legit reason.
"SoCalGas crews discovered the source of the odor was a natural gas odorant spill at a small independent oil and natural gas production facility in the West Los Angeles area," Melissa Bailey from Southern California Gas Co. said. "The spill has been cleaned up. Any residual odor is expected to dissipate gradually over the next several hours."
While there wasn’t a crisis after all, it’s still nice to know that people can bond together through Twitter to help get answers, even at a local level.
