Investigators try to determine cause of San Bruno blast [Update]

At least four people were killed and 52 injured in the gas pipeline explosion and fire that rocked a San Bruno neighborhood as investigators Friday tried to determine what caused the devastating blast that left a crater in the ground and homes smoldering.

Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, serving as acting governor while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Asia, declared a state of emergency in the Crestmoor neighborhood and said the blaze was 75% contained after destroying 15 acres.

"We don't know what caused [the rupture]," Maldonado said in a news conference near the scene. "We will find out soon."

A total of 52 people have been hospitalized, including three with third-degree burns. Four firefighters who suffered smoke inhalation were treated and released.

Maldonado said a natural gas line ruptured about 6:24 p.m. Thursday, ripping a crater in the neighborhood and causing the blaze, which consumed 38 structures and damaged seven more.

[Updated at 1:47 p.m.: Officials said Friday in an afternoon news conference that the fire had been contained. Searchers combed through 75% of the homes destroyed by the blast, and there were no residents unaccounted for.

They will not know for certain about additional victims until they search the remaining homes, which were too hot to enter.

Millbrae Fire Chief Dennis Haag walked the neighborhood early Friday morning, counting the number of destroyed houses.

"It was pretty devastating. ... It looks like a moonscape in some areas," Haag said.

The site of the explosion is marked by a 30-foot-diameter crater filled with water. Chunks of asphalt are strewn about, and melted cars line a nearby road. Residents desperate to check on their homes and loved ones gathered Friday at a barricade outside the neighborhood.

Kevin Matsukura, 18, a freshman at Skyline College who lives within a block of the explosion, went to the barricade with his father. He said he was at home when he heard the blast and his ears began popping.

“I was just sitting in my room. It just kept getting louder. I thought it would be another earthquake,” he said. “It sounded like a plane overhead."]

Some 67 pieces of firefighting apparatuses were brought in to fight the blaze, including four air tankers that proved the most important in attacking the ferocious blaze most of the night, when  firefighters were unable to do much from the street.

Twelve trained dogs were also at the scene Friday to help in the search for bodies.

"The sun is shining over there, but there is still a dark cloud over the city of San Bruno," Mayor Jim Ruane said.

Pacific Gas & Electric officials said Friday they were investigating reports that customers complained of a natural gas odor before the deadly explosion.

They also said the damaged section of the 30-inch steel gas pipeline has been isolated and the gas flow turned off, and crews planned to walk the neighborhood Friday to survey the damage and check the gas transmission system.

Company officials said they would cooperate fully with federal, state and local agencies to identify the cause of Thursday's explosion. They did not say, however, whether the pipeline caused the  explosion.

“That will be part of the ongoing investigation. [The National Transportation Safety Board] will be conducting a comprehensive investigation and we will be cooperating fully,” said Jeff Smith, a spokesman for the utility.

PG&E officials in a statement said crews are working to make the area safe, assess damage and restore service where possible.

As the sun rose Friday morning, evacuated residents anxiously tried to make their way back home – only to be turned away by barricades.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Department and San Bruno Fire Department had set up barriers on a hill overlooking the fire, keeping out both residents and media. Through tall pine trees, smoke could be seen rising up from where dozens of homes once stood.

"People want to see if their houses burned down," said Rick Bruce, 54, a retired police officer who has lived in the neighborhood since 1980. "I was lucky to get in last night. Most people had to leave within 45 minutes, so they saw the flames but didn't know whether their house burned. … But where the fire was looks like London during the Blitz."

Bruce said he made note of the homes that were still standing and tried to alert his neighbors.

But, he said, he is also extremely concerned about the emergency response and whether it should have been better.

San Bruno Fire Department officials reported initial difficulty accessing water because the explosion had ruptured water mains.

And Bruce said that 10 minutes after the explosion, he talked to 911 dispatchers only be told emergency responders were still trying to find the site. Bruce said he called again – still unable to spot any fire, ambulance or police crews just one block from the explosion site.

"At 20 minutes, there was no fire, no police," Bruce said. "I was furious. I said, 'There's nothing! We're standing in the street looking at the biggest fire I've ever seen in my life and there's no one here.' "

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Tony Barboza and Paloma Esquivel in San Bruno and Richard Winton, Sam Quinones and Rong-Gong Lin II in Los Angeles

Photo: San Bruno Fire Capt. Charlie Barringer looks over "ground zero," where a 24-inch gas line exploded, destroying nearby homes. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Photos: Fire in San Bruno

 

Comments

[Brenda]

My heart goes out to the afflicted victims. I saw the fire within 5 minutes of the initial explosion from South Airport Blvd near the Travelodge, and from a few miles away it was terrifying. I can only imagine being in the midst of it.

[Logic and Reason]

Tell Abel to get off of the T.V. and let the real experts inform us. This is one aspect of elected officials that I particularly dislike (among other things). At any major disaster, they like to get a hold of that microphone and act like they really have any real impact on what is going on. All he needed to say was. "I'm a bureaucrat, we'll pay for it". He does not have to act like he is integral to getting that fire out. Ask any fire fighter. I will give him credit that he did not have a yellow Nomex coat on, but only a little credit.

[Eve]

This is so sad, and scary. My heart goes out to the victims.

This could happen anywhere. And how long before it happens again, with our aging infrastructure in an earthquake prone state?

[Ginger K.]

No need for terrorists. We have the oil and industry.

[CHUCK2251]

AIR TANKERS ARE SO IMPORTANT ,THOSE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR SHOULD NOTE..ESPECIALLY MEG WHITMAN , WHO HAS FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE YELLOW PAPERS GIVEN TO HER AT THE ORANGE COUNTY PAVALION..

[Frank Thompson]

So, what did I tell you? Fossil based fuels are dirty, dangerous, deadly and dumb.

Frank in New Mexico

[Shinra]

That was a sad looking picture with just the brick chimneys of the homes remaining of all the burned houses on that block. Sad sad sight...

Just curious if this type of thing is covered by insurance???

[upwinger]

Perhaps if PG and E would have spent even a fraction of the money they threw away on their ill-fated proposition to monopolize electric service to maintaing their gas lines, maybe some folks would be alive and those houses in San Bruno would be standing.

[Norm Silver]

There are unconfirmed reports that there were complaints of the smell of natural gas for up to three weeks before this tragedy occurred. An explosion of this magnitude makes me think there was a gas saturation of the subterranean area for a long time. Now lets hope they can find out exactly what happened and take steps to prevent this form ever happening again.

[Lisa]

This is absolutely 100% what will happen when we experience a major earthquake. More lives will be lost to the fires than in the initial quake and more damage to structures will occur in the fires than the quake itself.

this is awful and my sympathies & thoughts go out to the families affected by the fire.

[Astonished]

Really, how many people would think to look at where big gas lines (high pressure at that) are in relation to any house your buying? It makes you wonder what's buried under you own home? Would home owner's insurance even pay for this kind of tragedy!

[Kelsey]

Really? Wow, way to go us. We have really outdone ourselves this time. It's one thing to be killing ocean life, but killing and injuring people??? Oil is indeed evil.

[Jeff]

I have been following the disaster in San Bruno, and have been able to determine from reports that the center of the crater remaining from the rupture is at the northwest curb corner of the intersection of Earl Avenue and Glenview Drive in San Bruno.

Viewing this location on Google maps there is clear evidence of recent excavation within approximately 2 yards from the center of the crater. The picture shows the new asphalt covering the recent excavation and the paint marks on the pavement required for utility service location before excavations are made.

I do not know when the satellite picture was taken, however it does suggest a possible contributory cause of a catastrophic failure of the high pressure line.

[ken ludwig]

How did the mixture of gas/air get to the explosive limit with the pipe buried in the ground ? was there some sort of invasion ? Did someone forget to purge after opening it ?

How in the world did a spark arrive inside the pipe ?

Had there been cathodic protection wires attached (in those years I don't think so) ? Was there a "Tracing" wire attached to allow the pipe to be located from the surface ?

How about a malfunction of either or both such systems, getting crossed for example with a live electric line somewhere ??

Why did the explosion occur right here where it did ?

Why do they keep saying 3 feet underground when the photo of the crater clearly shows at least 6 feet of cover from the top of the pipe to the finished pavement grade ?

Was that section that ruptured longitudinally removed from the crater or blown out of the hole in the blast ?

Who has the inspection reports from when the line was installed ? Was there an inspector ? San bruno/County/State/PGE/OSHA/

Why did the separation of the segment ejected occur in a seemingly straight line perpendicular to its long axis ? Should not the weld be stronger than the base metal being welded ?

[ken ludwig]

How long until all the information sources dry up from lawyers mixing in for a couple handfulls !! ?

[Scott]

It was likely corrosion that caused the pipe to breach. See the El Paso natural gas pipeline explosion in New Mexico.