Tests conducted over the weekend at the Aliso Canyon gas facility showed no detectable levels of methane in the wake of a large wildfire that has charred a 7,900-acre swath in the hills of the northern San Fernando Valley.
Hours after the Saddleridge fire broke out Thursday evening, it made a rapid advance toward the Aliso Canyon gas facility, which four years ago was the site of the largest release of methane in U.S. history. The Porter Ranch facility had been shut down and firefighters were on scene to protect it through the night, officials said.
However, residents remained on edge about whether any damage to the facility would result in additional methane leaks. That doesn’t appear to be the case, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced late Sunday.
The facility did not sustain any major damage and air monitoring conducted by the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Heath Hazardous Materials Division and the Air Quality Management District on Saturday revealed no detectable levels of methane gas. Officials conducted the air quality tests west of the perimeter of the site and throughout the facility, according to the public health agency.
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