Weather 
The 5 Freeway north of Los Angeles has been closed and a shelter-in-place order has been issued to residents in Castaic after a natural gas line ruptured on Saturday afternoon.
L.A. County Fire Department officials say that they received reports of an explosion in the area near Ridge Route Road and Pine Crest Place at around 4:20 p.m., which was then followed by reports of a strong gas smell.
The 5 Freeway is a major artery that links Southern California to the rest of the state. It runs north all the way through Oregon and Washington to Canada.
KNN News
It’s unclear what caused the gas line, which is also referred to as a “transmission gas line,” to rupture, but Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies told CBS Los Angeles that it was possibly caused by a mudslide.
Los Angeles County Fire Captain Brian Knight said that first responders were waiting on SoCalGas personnel to shut off the 34-inch main gas line so they could begin their investigation. It has since been mitigated by the gas company, but some residual gas was expected to continue seeping out for some time, Knight said.
A SoCalGas spokesperson told CBS LA that crews safely located and isolated the damaged section of the pipeline, and that once the remaining gas was vented, they would assess damage and begin repair work.
“The cause of the break has not been determined,” the spokesperson said.
No evacuation orders have been issued, though LAFD firefighters say that residents living within a one-mile radius of the gas line were asked to shelter in place. Residents were also asked to close their doors, windows and vents and turn their HVAC systems off.
Firefighters said that there is no immediate threat to Los Angeles as a result of the leak, though residents throughout the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys should expect to experience a “strong smell of natural gas.”
“We still have 19,200 people sheltered in place, we’re not gonna lift that until further notice,” Knight said.
California Highway Patrol officers issued a SigAlert just after 5 p.m., closing both northbound and southbound lanes north of Lake Hughes Road. Eastbound and westbound lanes of SR-318 and SR-126 were also closed to other traffic, as they were used to divert traffic from I-5. There was no word on when the SigAlert would be lifted. With the CBS LA helicopter overhead, lines of traffic were seen stretching back miles from the spot of the SigAlert.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 
No injuries have been reported yet.
Arson and explosives detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were called to the scene, as well as a hazardous materials team, deputies said.
In a post on X, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office said that he had been briefed on the pipeline rupture and that the state’s Office of Emergency Services was assisting with response to the incident.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
