Gas leak prompts evacuation of South Lake Tahoe Raley's at the Y

A gas leak behind the South Lake Tahoe Raley's at the Y prompted a temporary evacuation of the store Thursday evening.

The first call came in at 4:27 p.m. and South Lake Tahoe Fire and Police departments responded. A gas leak was suspected but the gas meter that services the grocery store was buried in 25-30 feet of snow. SLT Fire Battalion Chief Tim Spencer called in the City's Public Works department who brought a front loader that was able to dig through all of the snow.

Since it was unknown at the time what kind of leak they'd uncover, Spencer ordered yellow caution tape around the parking lot and a precautionary evacuation of the store as Southwest Gas crews patched up the leak once the snow was cleared away.

Raley's was able to reopen after about an hour closure.

Spencer wanted to remind all home and business owners to make sure snow is cleared away from their gas meters. Not only does it prevent ice buildup which can cause major problems, it also makes it easier for emergency crews to shut gas off should a home have a fire.