A natural gas leak was detected early Wednesday morning in the 5100 block of Wilshire Boulevard that led to the evacuation of residences and nearby businesses, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart.

Wilshire Boulevard was closed between Sycamore and Mansfield avenues while a crew repaired a broken gas line on Wednesday (photo by Luis Rivas)..

Firefighters arrived at the scene at approximately 6:45 a.m. and closed Wilshire Boulevard for approximately two hours until the gas line was repaired. Traffic was allowed through at approximately 9 a.m.

Southern California Gas (SoCal Gas) received a call earlier alerting them of the natural gas leak. They sent workers immediately in response to repair the leak.

“SoCal Gas received a call that a third-party contractor damaged a small, two-inch natural gas main at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Orange Drive,” said SoCal Gas spokesperson Javier Mendoza.

Abbie McDonald, shift manager at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in the 5100 block of Wilshire Boulevard, arrived at work at 5:30 a.m. and could immediately smell the gas leak.

“When people opened the door, you could smell it,” McDonald said.

At approximately 9:15 a.m. the gas leak was repaired and the area was re-opened and declared safe, according to Mendoza.

“The priority is to safely repair the damage as quickly and safely as possible. We’re still investigating exactly how everything happened. That’s going to take some time,” Mendoza said.

After the gas leak was repaired, firefighters returned to the area approximately an hour later after receiving a call about a fire on the second floor of Avalon Wilshire, a residential and commercial building at 5115 Wilshire Blvd.

Residents and workers in the buildings were evacuated after the building’s fire alarms sounded. Light smoke emanated from the second floor and filled several floors.

Mia Rogers, a resident at the building for 10 months, was parking her car in the building’s garage when she heard the fire alarm and rushed outside with her daughter. At first, Rogers thought it was a false alarm “because it has happened almost regularly before,” she said.

“There have been five false alarms since I’ve been here. It used to be about twice a month. But then we smelled the smoke,” Rogers said.

Rogers, her daughter and husband waited outside until firefighters allowed residents to go back inside and employees returned to their businesses on the first floor.

LAFD Capt. Mark Martinez, of Fire Station 61, said that it was a small kitchen fire.

“Someone had left a cutting board down in the broiler. That’s all it was,” Martinez said.

SoCal Gas recommends that if residents detect a gas leak, they should call (800)427-2200.

“SoCalGas reminds residents and business owners to ‘call 811 before you dig’ in the yard or at construction sites. Calling 811, or Underground Service Alert, will help avoid possible injury or damage to hidden gas lines or service interruption while digging,” Mendoza said.

For information, visit www.socalgas.com/safety.