Gas-line break delays effort to clear Fresno County homeless camp

An effort to clear out a homeless camp was on hold Monday morning after an excavator severed a nearby gas line, Fresno County authorities said.

The camp is on two pieces of property near the intersection of West Dennett and North Lafayette avenues, west of Highway 99. Authorities say the camp has been growing over the past year and the Sheriff’s Office has received complaints from neighbors and the property owner. There are about a dozen people at the camp at any given time, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Fresno firefighters and Pacific Gas & Electric workers are at the gas leak. The work to clear the homeless camp began about 9:15 a.m.

The Sheriff’s Office and other county workers had planned to start clearing the camp early Monday. Notices to vacate the camp were posted last week, the Sheriff’s Office said.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Gas-line break delays effort to clear Fresno County homeless camp."