UPDATE:
Sheriff’s deputies found no one inside the Railroad Drive residence where a person was thought to be barricaded after searching the premises and the gas leak appears to be from an underground source, leading officials to cancel the emergency procedures for the surrounding neighborhood.

McKinleyville Middle School voluntarily went on lockdown during the incident, which remains under investigation, according to an update from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.
PREVIOUSLY:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents in a McKinleyville neighborhood to shelter in place while deputies deal with a potentially suicidal subject barricaded in a residence with a possible gas leak.

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Samantha Karges said a real estate agent arrived at a property in the 1400 block of Railroad Drive and smelled a strong gas odor. He or she then attempted to contact the tenant, who refused to answer the door, prompting the real estate agent to call the police.

Karges said several deputies are currently on scene, as well as personnel from California State Parks, the California Highway Patrol and Arcata Fire. Authorities are asking residents at home between the 1200 and 1500 blocks of Railroad Drive, as well as surrounding side streets, to shelter in place until the situation is resolved.

She said it’s currently unclear if anyone else is inside the residence and that she doesn’t know if deputies have been in communication with the barricaded subject.

Read the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office release below:

On Oct. 2, 2018, at about 8:30 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call for a gas leak and a possible barricaded subject at a residence on the 1400 block of Railroad Drive in McKinleyville. The reporting party, a realtor, told dispatchers that she was checking on the property and its current tenant when she noticed a strong odor of natural gas. The realtor indicated that she was unable to make contact with the male tenant and that he may be barricaded inside. Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Arcata Fire and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) responded to the residence. During the course of the investigation, five residents on adjacent properties were evacuated and other nearby residents were notified to shelter in place due to the natural gas leak. McKinleyville Middle School voluntarily initiated a lockdown of the campus. Upon further investigation, PG&E crews found that the gas leak originated from an underground source. Deputies searched the residence and were unable to locate the tenant on the property. PG&E is currently working to repair the gas leak. This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539. The Sheriff’s Office encourages the public to always call 911 if you suspect a natural gas leak.