A crack in the casing of a pipe carrying methane gas from a nearby oil drilling site led to the evacuation of seven Torrance homes and two complexes in Redondo Beach on Tuesday, officials said.
"The pressure on the well had increased due to a crack in the piping underground," said Battalion Chief Ken Hall of the Torrance Fire Department.
Officials said they were concerned that the pressure would cause old valves on the wellhead to erupt.
"There was a slight chance of a valve failing at the surface, and I didn't want to take that chance," said Charles Champion, president of Tower Petroleum, the oil company that operates the well.
The underground pipe was repaired by firefighters and company workers last week when it first ruptured Wednesday. Since then, the pipe casing has expanded with increased pressure and an oil well crew from Texas has been brought in to work on the pipe.
