Paterson residents were forced to evacuate from their homes Sunday morning after a gas line rupture.

The smell of gas filled the air on the 700 block of East 26th street.

Firefighters evacuated two dozen people after construction equipment hit a gas line.

"They were building a fence, and the builder just broke the thing, the gas thing and we all got evacuated," said resident Rachel Peralta.

"There is a reminder, make sure you have the proper permits, make sure you don't put yourself or anyone else in harm's way. So there is an investigation ongoing and we will get to the bottom of how this started and people had to be inconvenienced on a Sunday morning," said Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.

Besides getting permits, PSE&G reminded everyone to call 811 before one digs to find out where the gas lines are.

No injuries were reported.