Fires and Explosions
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The blast site looks like a war zone. With rescue crews combing through the rubble of the San Francisco suburb on Friday the 10 of September, 2010, looking for survivors and to determine how a ruptured fuel line erupted in an intense fireball that killed at least four people on Thursday night, leaving a horrific scene of destruction 15 acres wide. Firefighters in the city of San Bruno wrestled the inferno caused by a large explosion, and by Friday morning, it was 75 percent contained, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said at a news conference.
Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said “We know that a natural gas line ruptured yesterday around 6:24 p.m., but we don’t know what caused it or what happened,” he said. “We will find out soon.”
With California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger traveling in Asia on business, his lieutenant declared a local state of emergency and expressed his sympathy to the victims of this explosion. Mr. Maldonado said that four people had been killed, 52 people were injured, and three were critically injured with third degree burns. A total of 38 structures had burned, and 7 more were damaged, he added.
“Our hearts go out to those impacted by this horrible disaster,” Mr. Maldonado said. “Without warning many of these people’s lives have been changed forever.”
Search and rescue crews, including one from the San Mateo coroner’s office, and with assistance from search dogs, combed through the wreckage on Friday morning and knocked on doors of fire-ravaged homes looking for survivors.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates pipeline accidents, said on its Web site that it was sending a four-member team to the scene.
The blast occurred about 8 miles south of San Francisco, and was so loud and devastating that some officials initially suspected that a plane might have smashed into the neighborhood. Towers of flame shot hundreds of feet into the sky and a plume of ash-colored smoke hovered over a very large area. Aerial images showed multiple cars on fire and several homes completely consumed by a blazing fireball that stretched across the entire street.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the utility company that serves the area, said one of its gas lines had ruptured.
Residents of the neighborhood said PG&E investigated a pungent gas leak over the previous week but failed to take action, according to The Bay Citizen.
“They already knew about the leak and they didn’t do anything,” said Alex Monroy, who lives on Claremont Drive, not far from where the broken gas main burst into flames causing the explosion.
San Mateo Assemblyman Jerry Hill told The Bay Citizen he was "outraged" to learn that some residents had complained to PG&E about gas leaks in the neighborhood "for up to three weeks" before the explosion and yet no action was taken to prevent this disaster.
Mr. Hill said the pipe that ruptured was installed in 1948. The failure to repair or replace the gas line has now caused this horrific disaster.
"I will be working closely with the Public Utilities Commission to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted into the cause of this fire," Mr. Hill said in a statement.
The explosion erupted on a hillside near Interstates 280 and 380, in a residential area about two miles west of San Francisco International Airport in San Bruno, California.
Joanne Hayes-White, the chief of the San Francisco fire department, said late Thursday night it was unclear precisely how many people were injured.
“This happened during the dinner hours,” she said. “There were probably a lot of people sitting at home having dinner at the time.”
Capt. Charlie Barringer of the San Bruno Fire Department told The A.P. that the whole neighborhood was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived, even though the fire station was only a few blocks from the scene. The water supply in the area was knocked out by the explosion, so water to fight the fire had to be pumped from more than two miles away, he said.
Don Ford, a photo journalist, said on CBS 5 that the explosion left a deep crater dozens of yards wide. "Tomorrow morning, when the sun comes up, it’s going to be something out of Dante," he said.
In surrounding areas, emergency officials went door to door ordering residents from their homes as firefighters struggled to control the flames caused by this explosion.
Lieutenant Governor Maldonado said that 67 pieces of fire-fighting equipment — from local and state fire engines to four air tankers — were deployed. Chief Hayes-White said her department alone had about 18 engines and trucks at the scene and about 50 firefighters attacking the blaze, according to local news reports.
Their efforts overnight on Thursday were hampered by strong winds, which appeared to be stoking the fire and increasing the risk of its spreading to more houses, Kelly Huston, a spokesman for the California Emergency Management Agency, told CNN.
“We’ve got aircraft and helicopters literally dropping retardant on homes to try to protect them from catching fire,” he said.
Chief Hayes-White said that officials looked into the possibility that the fire could have been ignited by a plane crash.
If you have lost a loved one, were injured or suffered the loss of your home or property in the San Bruno Gas Line Explosion call us 1-800-862-1260, day or night, and speak to us for free. One of our “of counsel and local counsel” attorneys can come to you for free or we can assist in setting an in-person meeting with offices in San Francisco. Call toll free 1-800-862-1260.
