USA TODAY
Residents in a northern California city were asked to take shelter Tuesday night after numerous reports of a strong odor of natural gas, authorities said.
Vallejo Fire received at least 800 reports about the odor, and some residents went to a local hospital, said Joanna Altman, spokeswoman for Vallejo. Fire and PG&E crews were investigating the reports, but Altman said they do not know the cause of the odor.
But around 11 p.m. PT, Vallejo Fire said on Twitter the odor was not coming from within Vallejo but was the result of "wind and environmental conditions."
Vallejo is a city of roughly 116,000 people that sits on the San Pablo Bay near several refineries, including the Chevron Richmond Refinery, Phillips 66 and east of the bay in the Carquinez Straight, the Valero Benicia Refinery.
Police received the first call about the odor around 7:20 p.m. PT from the western side of Mare Island, CBS News report.
A ferry captain called the Coast Guard around 8 p.m., reporting an oil sheen. Coast Guard officials went to the site and confirmed the sheen near the Carquinez Straight, CBS News reported.
Fire officials said crews have not detected any abnormal readings on portable gas monitors, but the reports prompted a shelter-in-place order. Altman said residents should stay inside, "turn off any air conditioning units and close windows."
Vallejo Fire said in a Facebook post that they have not "determined (the odor) to be natural gas, refinery burnoff, or otherwise.”
Follow Steph Solis on Twitter: @stephmsolis
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