Firefighters respond to gas leak

Yuma firefighters responded to a natural gas line leak in the 800 block of 7th Avenue early Monday afternoon.

Mike Erfert, spokesman for the Yuma Fire Department, said shortly after 12:30 p.m. a backhoe working at a construction site accidentally damaged the line while digging at the area.

"The site where the construction work was going on appeared to be a commercial lot," Erfert said.

Erfert said there were no injuries, but the immediate area of the gas leak was evacuated.

He said while no other evacuations were needed, the Yuma Police Department, which also responded to the scene, did close off some roads in the area to traffic as a precaution.

Firefighters, consisting of a battalion chief and two engines, remained on scene for several hours while Southwest Gas Co. workers repaired the line.

"Firefighters were on standby in case of an ignition, but there wasn't one," Erfert said.