Residents evacuated from the Balboa Peninsula were given the green light to return after local officials red-tagged seven homes when high levels of methane and hydrogen sulfide were detected leaking from a house on Marcus Avenue.
The all-clear given on Friday, Oct. 24, by Newport Beach Fire Chief Jeff Boyles followed efforts by his department and the city’s utilities department to relieve pressure building under a home in the 3600 block of Marcus Avenue by installing vents.
“The ventilation system that our Utilities Department installed is properly venting the gas into the atmosphere,” he said. “So the flammability and toxicity levels at the ground level have been mitigated, which made us comfortable in allowing the neighbors back into their homes.”
On Wednesday, when residents were asked to evacuate in an abundance of caution, Boyes said the levels had been “very high.”
The city worked in coordination with the OC Health Care Agency, he said.
Crews installed a ventilation system using several large, vertical pipes to safely release methane gas into the atmosphere. A supplemental ground-level system was also put in place to vent any additional gas that may accumulate.
“Our team worked methodically to address the hazard and ensure conditions are safe for neighboring homes,” Boyes said. “The health and safety of our residents continue to guide every step of this response.”
The problem at the house was first reported a few months ago, when residents noticed oil seeping through their foundation, which is believed to be from an abandoned private oil well beneath the property capped in 1929, city officials said.
The home will remain red-tagged “indefinitely until a permanent solution to the oil and gas seepage is identified and implemented by the homeowner,” a city press release said. “The city will continue to closely monitor venting systems and environmental conditions in the area.”