SAN FRANCISCO -- More than a dozen homes were evacuated Thursday after a 2-inch plastic gas pipe ruptured in the same San Francisco suburb where a pipeline explosion killed eight people in 2010.

The distribution main line burst around 10:45 a.m. when a private contractor working for the city of San Bruno struck the pipe with a backhoe in the Crestmoor neighborhood, at the same intersection where the previous blast occurred, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokeswoman Brittany Chord said.

PG&E crews were on-scene by 11 a.m. and stopped the gas flow in less than half an hour, Chord said.

"We worked very closely with our first responders on the scene to shut the gas off as quickly as possible," Chord said.

She added the line was not fitted with excess flow valves, which are designed to trip automatically when there is a break in a distribution line, the narrow-diameter pipes that serve individual homes and businesses.

San Bruno City Manager Connie Jackson said 14 homes were evacuated for about 30 minutes, largely because the wind began to pick up in the area.

The construction job that caused the break in the line has been halted, and city officials will investigate how it was hit and adopt precautions so the construction can resume, Jackson said.

The explosion of a high-pressure transmission line on Sept. 9, 2010, sparked a gas-fueled fire that destroyed 38 homes and laid waste to parts of the same neighborhood.

That blast has been blamed on an inferior pipeline weld. According to a March review by PG&E, more than 200 of its high-pressure transmission pipelines still have sections riddled with vulnerable seam welds.

The company has said it plans to pressure test, replace or otherwise examine the problematic pipeline segments over the next two years.

___

Associated Press writer Terry Collins contributed to this report.

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  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire is roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • APTOPIX Large Explosion

    A massive fire is roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. A massive fire burned homes as it roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco following a loud explosion Thursday evening that shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety, witnesses said. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    Two cars burned after a massive fire roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    Firefighters douse a massive fire that roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. A massive fire burned homes as it roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco following a loud explosion Thursday evening that shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety, witnesses said. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A helicopter drops water on a massive fire through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A firefighter shoots water from his firehose at a massive fire, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010 in a neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A home destroyed after a massive fire that roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A vehicle and home destroyed after a massive fire that roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A home for sale sign is shown in front of three homes that were destroyed after a massive fire that roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    Firefighters race to massive fire that roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    Cars and homes destroyed after a massive fire that roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A helicopter drops water on a fire after an explosion in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Several homes were destroyed as a massive fire roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno. (AP Photo/Mike Adaskaveg)

  • Large Explosion

    Firefighters shoot water from their firehoses during a massive fire, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010 in a neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

  • Large Explosion

    Firemen are seen outside burning homes after an explosion in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Several homes were destroyed as a massive fire roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno. (AP Photo/Mike Adaskaveg)

  • Large Explosion

    A helicopter drops water after an explosion in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Several homes were destroyed as a massive fire roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno. (AP Photo/Mike Adaskaveg)

  • Large Explosion

    Firefighters shoot water from their firehoses during a massive fire, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010 in a neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif. Live television footage showed more than a dozen homes destroyed, with flames reaching as high as 60 feet in the air as the fire incinerated everything in its path. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

  • Large Explosion

    A fire fighting helicopter flys over a massive fire, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010 in a neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif. A local fire chief says a gas line explosion likely caused the massive fire burning homes in a residential neighborhood south of San Francisco. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. A massive fire burned homes as it roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco following a loud explosion Thursday evening that shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety, witnesses said. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A car is burned after a massive fire roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. A massive fire burned homes as it roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco following a loud explosion Thursday evening that shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety, witnesses said. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. A massive fire burned homes as it roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco following a loud explosion Thursday evening that shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety, witnesses said. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. A massive fire burned homes as it roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco following a loud explosion Thursday evening that shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety, witnesses said. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in the San Francisco suburb. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in the neighborhood south of San Francisco. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in the neighborhood south of San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    A massive fire roars through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in the neighborhood south of San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • Large Explosion

    Alex Montoya carries shoes, clothes, and blankets after he was told to leave his home following an explosion in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Several homes were destroyed as a massive fire roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno. (AP Photo/Mike Adaskaveg)

  • Large Explosion

    A woman is treated by firemen after an explosion in San Bruno, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. Several homes were destroyed as a massive fire roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno. (AP Photo/Mike Adaskaveg)