Fireball Kills 4, Destroys 38 Homes In San Bruno

Spare the Air

Fireball Kills 4, Destroys 38 Homes In San Bruno

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Page 1 of 3

Story posted 2010.09.10 at 03:38 PM PDT

At least four people have died, 38 homes have been destroyed and 52 injured in a massive fireball that erupted when a natural gas line broke in the San Bruno foothills and raced through a residential neighborhood, authorities said Friday.

San Mateo Senior Deputy Coroner Michelle Rippy said Friday that officials at the scene confirmed that four people have died in the fire. Authorities have began a grim house-by-house search of wreckage for more victims using 12 search dogs.

Fire Chief Dennis Haag said that 75 percent of the wreckage had been searched by noon with the other 25 percent still smoldering and too hot to examine.

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

Meanwhile, officials with the San Bruno Park School District said that all schools would be closed on Friday. At ground zero of the explosion a massive crater bore witness to the power of the initial blast.

California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, acting governor while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Asia on a trade mission, has declared a state of emergency for San Mateo County.

"It was like a bomb went off," Maldonado told CNN from the scene early Friday.

He said the cause of the conflagration was still unclear.

"We don't know what happened. I don't know what happened. Tomorrow morning we'll find out," he said.

Maldonado said the fire had been 75 percent contained with 15 acres burned. Fire officials said a walk though of the devastated area at daylight revealed that 38 homes had been destroyed and seven more had suffered 'significant' damage. Those figures were much lower than the 53 destroyed and 120 damaged figures released overnight.

He said that 52 people have been injured in the blaze including four firefighters.

Meanwhile, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. President Chris Johns said Friday morning that a 30-inch gas pipe had ruptured about three feet underground triggering the fireball.

He said PG&E has no record of its crews working in that area at the time and the cause of the break was still under investigation.

Johns said that the company would "fully cooperate" with the investigation and explore unconfirmed witness reports of the smell of gas in the area before the explosions.

"It's a tragic event, and we really want to make sure that we can make this area safe right now," Johns said.

Johns vowed that if the investigation finds that PG&E is at fault, "We will do the right thing for those involved."

Christina Veraflor, 41, of Napa, grew up in the neighborhood and said Friday morning that her 67-year-old mother's house was destroyed.

Veraflor said she smelled gas at the house during a visit six weeks ago but did not report the smell to the utility. Others have also told KTVU they had smelled gas in the neighborhood air over the last several weeks.

"You'd get a whiff of it, and it would dissipate," she said.

Law enforcement officers were also patrolling the fire zone to protect homes from looters. Authorities said a man was spotted overnight taking items from a home and when officers attempted stop him, he assaulted the officers. A pursuit ensued and the man was taken into custody.

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Víctor Lei

Three Dead; 53 Homes Destroyed In San Bruno Fireball

Coldwell Banker

Three Dead; 53 Homes Destroyed In San Bruno Fireball

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Page 1 of 3

Story posted 2010.09.10 at 06:09 AM PDT

At least three have died, 53 homes destroyed and more than 100 damaged in a massive fireball that erupted when a natural gas line broke in the San Bruno foothills and raced through a residential neighborhood, authorities said Friday.

While there were reports of additional casualties, San Bruno fire officials would only confirm to KTVU that three bodies have been recovered. Authorities planned to use cadaver dogs to launch a grim search for other victims once the area was secure and the rumble had cooled.

"It's going to take us until at least until tomorrow into the afternoon to do a full search," San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag said late Thursday.

At ground zero of the explosion a massive crater bore witness to the power of the initial blast.

California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, acting governor while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Asia on a trade mission, has declared a state of emergency for San Mateo County.

"It was like a bomb went off," Maldonado told CNN from the scene early Friday.

He said the cause of the conflagration was still unclear.

"We don't know what happened. I don't know what happened. Tomorrow morning we'll find out," he said.

Crews with search dogs will go through whole area, he said. "We'll try to find folks if there are folks in their homes."

Law enforcement officers were also patrolling the fire zone to protect homes from looters. Authorities said a man and a woman had been arrested overnight for stealing from homes.

The four-alarm conflagration, soaring several hundred feet into the air in a tornadic column of fire, started at about 6:15 p.m. at Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue, according to the battalion chief's office.

As of approximately 10:30 p.m. Cal Fire was reporting that the fire was 50% contained and that 10 acres total had burned. San Bruno city officials said at a news conference later Thursday night that fire crews were working to hold the fire, and the city's priority is the safety of those battling the blaze and those affected by the tragedy.

Haag said he was confident that crews would be able to continue holding the fire and that it would not consume more land or homes than what was already affected.

Haag said that a high-pressure gas line was likely to blame for the fire, but that the cause has yet to be confirmed.

The need to completely shut down gas lines is impeding firefighting efforts, Haag said, because those gas lines have residuals that need to be eliminated before crews can access the area for a search.

PG&E president Chris Johns said after the news conference that crews are currently working to stop the flow on the main gas transmission line and will then cut off flow through the distribution lines to individual homes.

Johns said that the company would "fully cooperate" with the investigation and explore unconfirmed witness reports of the smell of gas in the area before the explosions.

Without access to the gas lines, Johns said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the explosion, although he said PG&E was unaware of any of its crews working in the area this evening.

"It's a tragic event, and we really want to make sure that we can make this area safe right now," Johns said.

Johns vowed that if the investigation finds that PG&E is at fault, "We will do the right thing for those involved."

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Víctor Lei

SAN BRUNO FIRE KILLS AT LEAST 3, DESTROYS 53 HOMES

A massive fire burned out of control, incinerating dozens of homes and killing at least three people, as it roared through a mostly residential neighb...

http://cbs5.com/local/san.bruno.explosion.2.1905322.html

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Víctor Lei

53 Homes Destroyed In Fatal San Bruno Fireball

Sincere Decor

53 Homes Destroyed In Fatal San Bruno Fireball

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Page 1 of 3

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 11:50 PM PDT

A massive fireball fueled by a broken natural gas line erupted in the San Bruno foothills early Thursday evening, leaving one person confirmed dead and destroying at least 53 homes while sending dozens of injured to local hospitals, authorities said.

The four-alarm conflagration, soaring several hundred feet into the air in a tornadic column of fire, started at about 6:15 p.m. at Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue, according to the battalion chief's office.

As of approximately 10:30 p.m. Cal Fire was reporting that the fire was 50% contained and that 10 acres total had burned. In addition to the 53 homes destroyed by the blaze, 120 homes in the area were damaged.

The San Mateo County coroner confirmed that at least one person has died in the blaze.

"From the reports we have, we have at least one" fatality, coroner Robert Foucrault said.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. officials said in an e-mailed statement that the ruptured gas line was theirs, although they cautioned that the cause of the blast has yet to be determined.

"Though a cause has yet to be determined, we know that a PG&E gas transmission line was ruptured," the company said in the statement. "If it is ultimately determined that we were responsible for the cause of the incident, we will take accountability."

Local residents said they felt an explosion followed by a fireball that soared hundreds of feet into the air.

"We heard what sounded like a plane, then all of a sudden an explosion," Carmann Robbins told KTVU. "It shook the window. It kind of startled me. We jumped up and then all you could see was flames. The flames were just spreading all through the houses. I don't think the people had time to get out. It (the fire) was jumping from one house to one house to another."

Jane Porcelli, 62, said she lives on a hill above where the fire is centered. She said she thought she heard a plane overhead with a struggling engine.

"And then you heard this bang. And everything shook except the floor, so we knew it wasn't an earthquake," Porcelli said.

"I feel helpless that I can't do anything. I just gotta sit by and watch."

At 6:14 p.m., Stephanie Mullen, Associated Press news editor for photos based in San Francisco, was attending children's soccer practice with her two children and husband at Cresmoor High School when she saw the blast.

"First, it was a low deep roar and everybody looked up, and we all knew something big was happening," she said. "Then there was a huge explosion with a ball of fire that went up behind the high school several thousand feet into the sky.

"Everybody grabbed their children and ran and put their children in their cars," Mullen said. "It was very clear something awful had happened."

Several minutes later, Mullen was near the fire scene, about a half-mile away in a middle-class neighborhood of 1960s vintage homes in hills overlooking San Francisco, the bay and the airport.

She said she could feel the heat of the fire on her face although she was three or four blocks away from the blaze. It appeared the fireball was big enough to have engulfed at least several homes.

"I could see families in the backyards of the homes next to where the fire was, bundling their children and trying to get them out of the backyards," she recounted.

She said people in the neighborhood were yelling "This is awful," "I live down there," and "My family is down there."

Judy and Frank Serrsseque were walking down a hill away from the flames with a makeshift wagon carrying important documents, medication and three cats.

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Víctor Lei

53 Homes Destroyed In Fatal San Bruno Fireball

Denny's

53 Homes Destroyed In Fatal San Bruno Fireball

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Page 1 of 2

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 11:39 PM PDT

A massive fireball fueled by a broken natural gas line erupted in the San Bruno foothills early Thursday evening, leaving one person confirmed dead and destroying at least 53 homes while sending dozens of injured to local hospitals, authorities said.

The four-alarm conflagration, soaring several hundred feet into the air in a tornadic column of fire, started at about 6:15 p.m. at Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue, according to the battalion chief's office.

As of approximately 10:30 p.m. Cal Fire was reporting that the fire was 50% contained and that 10 acres total had burned. In addition to the 53 homes destroyed by the blaze, 120 homes in the area were damaged.

The San Mateo County coroner confirmed that at least one person has died in the blaze.

"From the reports we have, we have at least one" fatality, coroner Robert Foucrault said.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. officials said in an e-mailed statement that the ruptured gas line was theirs, although they cautioned that the cause of the blast has yet to be determined.

"Though a cause has yet to be determined, we know that a PG&E gas transmission line was ruptured," the company said in the statement. "If it is ultimately determined that we were responsible for the cause of the incident, we will take accountability."

Local residents said they felt an explosion followed by a fireball that soared hundreds of feet into the air.

"We heard what sounded like a plane, then all of a sudden an explosion," Carmann Robbins told KTVU. "It shook the window. It kind of startled me. We jumped up and then all you could see was flames. The flames were just spreading all through the houses. I don't think the people had time to get out. It (the fire) was jumping from one house to one house to another."

Jane Porcelli, 62, said she lives on a hill above where the fire is centered. She said she thought she heard a plane overhead with a struggling engine.

"And then you heard this bang. And everything shook except the floor, so we knew it wasn't an earthquake," Porcelli said.

"I feel helpless that I can't do anything. I just gotta sit by and watch."

At 6:14 p.m., Stephanie Mullen, Associated Press news editor for photos based in San Francisco, was attending children's soccer practice with her two children and husband at Cresmoor High School when she saw the blast.

"First, it was a low deep roar and everybody looked up, and we all knew something big was happening," she said. "Then there was a huge explosion with a ball of fire that went up behind the high school several thousand feet into the sky.

"Everybody grabbed their children and ran and put their children in their cars," Mullen said. "It was very clear something awful had happened."

Several minutes later, Mullen was near the fire scene, about a half-mile away in a middle-class neighborhood of 1960s vintage homes in hills overlooking San Francisco, the bay and the airport.

She said she could feel the heat of the fire on her face although she was three or four blocks away from the blaze. It appeared the fireball was big enough to have engulfed at least several homes.

"I could see families in the backyards of the homes next to where the fire was, bundling their children and trying to get them out of the backyards," she recounted.

She said people in the neighborhood were yelling "This is awful," "I live down there," and "My family is down there."

Judy and Frank Serrsseque were walking down a hill away from the flames with a makeshift wagon carrying important documents, medication and three cats.

Next Page

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© 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

1 dead after large explosion, fire in San Bruno

1 dead after large explosion, fire in San Bruno

- view video -
San Bruno neighborhood on fire
Updated on: 2010-09-09 22:40:16

- view video -
San Bruno explosion: Eyewitness account
Updated on: 2010-09-09 23:13:40

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 11:25 PM PDT

At least one person is dead and dozens of homes have been destroyed after a major gas explosion and serie of fires in San Bruno.

A large fireball reaching up to 50 feet in the air at times burned for hours in the Crestmoor Two area. Fire crews are attacked the fires from the air and ground and declared the fire 50 percent contained by 11 p.m. As many as 53 homes were severely damaged and 120 homes suffered some damage.

PG&E confirms a 24-inch PG&E high-pressure gas line is the source of the explosion and fire. Crews are working to shut down distribution lines to get the remaining gas out of the lines.

There is reportedly a 15-foot crater with a gas pipeline sticking out at the epicanter of the explosion near the intersection of Glenview Drive and Earl Avenue. A witness says the surrounding asphalt is melted and almost all of the homes on Glenview Drive are destroyed.

Lieutenant Gov. Abel Maldonado has declared a state of emergency in the area and will visit Friday afternoon. (Maldonado is acting governor while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is out of the country.)

People as far as one-half mile away say they felt the boom and heat of the explosion.

The San Mateo County Sheriff activated the reverse-911 system to alert people in a three-quarter mile radius of a voluntary evacuation.

Evacuation centers have been set up at the San Bruno Veterans Memorial Recreation Center and the connecting senior center at 251 City Park Way. About 200 residents are being housed there. Residents are also gathering at Tanforan and Bayhill shopping centers. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are set up at Bayhill to provide victim assistance.

The city of San Bruno is asking residents in the impacted to check-in with Red Cross officials to let them know they are safe. They can check-in in person or by calling 650-616-7180. A local state of emergency has been declared.

The PETCO at the Tanforan shopping center is offering overnight shelter for small animals.

The initial explosion blew out a water line and fire fighters were without water for the first 30 minutes. Crews are shuttling water into area.

AT&T is reporting that at least one cell tower is down and customers may be experiencing service outages.

Northbound and southbound I-280 exits at San Bruno Avenue are closed at this time. In addition, Skyline Boulevard, Sneath Lane and San Bruno Avenue are closed. Drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible.

At least 5,000 PG&E customers are without power.

Mills Peninsula Hospital is treating 10 patients with injuries in their emergency room. San Francisco General Hospital has at least five patients, one person in critical condition. Kaiser in South San Francisco is treating 15 patients. Seaton Medical Center is treating three patients.

The FAA says it was not a plane. SFO spokesperson Mike McCarron says no plane from SFO is involved.

Capuchino High School in San Bruno will be offering on-campus counseling Friday.

Red Cross Hotline for Victims: 1-888-443-5722

The city of San Bruno is asking residents in the impacted to check-in with Red Cross officials to let them know they are safe. They can check-in in person or by calling 650-616-7180.

uReport:
Take part in the news. Upload videos and photos to uReport.abc7news.com or e-mail them to uReport@kgo-tv.com .
Story posted 2010.09.09 at 11:25 PM PDT

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Víctor Lei

Massive Fireball In San Bruno; One Dead, Six Critically Burned

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Massive Fireball In San Bruno; One Dead, Six Critically Burned

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Page 1 of 2

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 11:05 PM PDT

A massive fireball, fueled by a broken natural gas line, erupted in the San Bruno foothills early Thursday evening, destroying at least 53 homes, killing at least one person and sending dozens of people to a local hospitals, six of those in critical condition, authorities said.

The four-alarm conflagration, soaring several hundred feet into the air in a tornadic column of fire, started at about 6:15 p.m. at Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue, according to the battalion chief's office.

As of approximately 10:30 p.m. Cal Fire was reporting that the fire was 50% contained and that 10 acres total had burned. In addition to the 53 homes destroyed by the blaze, 120 homes in the area were damaged.

The San Mateo County coroner confirmed that at least one person has died in the blaze.

"From the reports we have, we have at least one" fatality, coroner Robert Foucrault said.

Local residents said they felt an explosion followed by a fireball that soared hundreds of feet into the air.

"We heard what sounded like a plane, then all of a sudden an explosion," Carmann Robbins told KTVU. "It shook the window. It kind of startled me. We jumped up and then all you could see was flames. The flames were just spreading all through the houses. I don't think the people had time to get out. It (the fire) was jumping from one house to one house to another."

Jane Porcelli, 62, said she lives on a hill above where the fire is centered. She said she thought she heard a plane overhead with a struggling engine.

"And then you heard this bang. And everything shook except the floor, so we knew it wasn't an earthquake," Porcelli said.

"I feel helpless that I can't do anything. I just gotta sit by and watch."

At 6:14 p.m., Stephanie Mullen, Associated Press news editor for photos based in San Francisco, was attending children's soccer practice with her two children and husband at Cresmoor High School when she saw the blast.

"First, it was a low deep roar and everybody looked up, and we all knew something big was happening," she said. "Then there was a huge explosion with a ball of fire that went up behind the high school several thousand feet into the sky.

"Everybody grabbed their children and ran and put their children in their cars," Mullen said. "It was very clear something awful had happened."

Several minutes later, Mullen was near the fire scene, about a half-mile away in a middle-class neighborhood of 1960s vintage homes in hills overlooking San Francisco, the bay and the airport.

She said she could feel the heat of the fire on her face although she was three or four blocks away from the blaze. It appeared the fireball was big enough to have engulfed at least several homes.

"I could see families in the backyards of the homes next to where the fire was, bundling their children and trying to get them out of the backyards," she recounted.

She said people in the neighborhood were yelling "This is awful," "I live down there," and "My family is down there."

Judy and Frank Serrsseque were walking down a hill away from the flames with a makeshift wagon carrying important documents, medication and three cats.

Judy Serrsseque said she heard an explosion, saw that fire was headed toward their home and knew they had to leave. As they fled, they said they saw people burned and people struggling to get their things out of burning houses.

"We got everything together, and we just got out," Judy Serrsseque. "Mostly we're wondering if we have a house to go back to."

Next Page

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© 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

.......

Víctor Lei

1 dead after large explosion, fire in San Bruno

1 dead after large explosion, fire in San Bruno

- view video -
San Bruno neighborhood on fire
Updated on: 2010-09-09 22:40:16

- view video -
San Bruno explosion: Eyewitness account
Updated on: 2010-09-09 23:13:40

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 10:34 PM PDT

At least one person is dead and mulitple homes are on fire after a large explosion in the area near highways 280 and 380, Skyline Boulevard and Sneath Lane in San Bruno.

A large fireball up to 50 feet in the air continues to burn out of control in the Crestmoor Two area. Fire crews are attacking the fires from the air and ground. As many as 25 homes are on fire or have burned.

PG&E confirms a 24-inch PG&E high-pressure gas line is the source of the explosion and fire.

The Office of Emegency Services is giving the central location of the incident as Clairmont and Glenview drives.The San Mateo County Sheriff has activated the reverse-911 system to alert people in a three-quarter mile radius of a voluntary evacuation.

There is reportedly a 15-foot crater with a gas pipeline sticking out at the epicanter of the explosion near th intersection of Glenview Drive and Earl Avenue. A witness says the surrounding asphalt is melted and almost all of the homes on Glenview Drive are destroyed.

People as far as one-half mile away say they felt the boom and heat of the explosion.

A evacuation centers have been set up at the San Bruno Veterans Memorial Recreation Center and the connecting senior center at 251 City Park Way. About 200 residents are being housed there. Residents are also gathering at Tanforan and Bay Hill shopping centers. The Red Cross is set up at Bay Hill to provide victim assistance.

The PETCO at the Tanforan shopping center is offering overnight shelter for small animals.

The initial explosion blew out a water line and fire fighters were without water for the first 30 minutes. Crews are shuttling water into area.

AT&T is reporting that at least one cell tower is down and customers may be experiencing service outages.

Northbound and southbound I-280 exits at San Bruno Avenue are closed at this time. In addition, Skyline Boulevard, Sneath Lane and San Bruno Avenue are closed. Drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible.

At least 5,000 PG&E customers are without power.

Mills Peninsula Hospital is treating 10 patients with injuries in their emergency room. San Francisco General Hospital has at least five patients, one person in critical condition. Kaiser in South San Francisco is treating 15 patients. Seaton Medical Center is treating three patients.

The FAA says it was not a plane. SFO spokesperson Mike McCarron says no plane from SFO is involved.

SFO has told pilots to switch to instruments due to poor visability.

Capuchino High School in San Bruno will be offering on-campus counseling Friday.

Red Cross Hotline for Victims: 1-888-443-5722. People looking for loved ones should try contacting them by phone until the Red Cross has more information available.

uReport:
Take part in the news. Upload videos and photos to uReport.abc7news.com or e-mail them to uReport@kgo-tv.com .
Story posted 2010.09.09 at 10:34 PM PDT

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Massive Fireball In San Bruno; One Dead, Six Critically Burned

Sincere Decor

Massive Fireball In San Bruno; One Dead, Six Critically Burned

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Page 1 of 2

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 10:33 PM PDT

A massive fireball, fueled by a broken natural gas line, erupted in the San Bruno foothills early Thursday evening, igniting at least 30 homes, killing at least one person and sending dozens of people to a local hospitals, six of those in critical condition, authorities said.

The four-alarm conflagration, soaring several hundred feet into the air in a tornadic column of fire, started at about 6:15 p.m. at Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue, according to the battalion chief's office.

The San Mateo County coroner confirmed that at least one person has died in the blaze.

"From the reports we have, we have at least one" fatality, coroner Robert Foucrault said.

Local residents said they felt an explosion followed by a fireball that soared hundreds of feet into the air.

"We heard what sounded like a plane, then all of a sudden an explosion," Carmann Robbins told KTVU. "It shook the window. It kind of startled me. We jumped up and then all you could see was flames. The flames were just spreading all through the houses. I don't think the people had time to get out. It (the fire) was jumping from one house to one house to another."

Jane Porcelli, 62, said she lives on a hill above where the fire is centered. She said she thought she heard a plane overhead with a struggling engine.

"And then you heard this bang. And everything shook except the floor, so we knew it wasn't an earthquake," Porcelli said.

"I feel helpless that I can't do anything. I just gotta sit by and watch."

At 6:14 p.m., Stephanie Mullen, Associated Press news editor for photos based in San Francisco, was attending children's soccer practice with her two children and husband at Cresmoor High School when she saw the blast.

"First, it was a low deep roar and everybody looked up, and we all knew something big was happening," she said. "Then there was a huge explosion with a ball of fire that went up behind the high school several thousand feet into the sky.

"Everybody grabbed their children and ran and put their children in their cars," Mullen said. "It was very clear something awful had happened."

Several minutes later, Mullen was near the fire scene, about a half-mile away in a middle-class neighborhood of 1960s vintage homes in hills overlooking San Francisco, the bay and the airport.

She said she could feel the heat of the fire on her face although she was three or four blocks away from the blaze. It appeared the fireball was big enough to have engulfed at least several homes.

"I could see families in the backyards of the homes next to where the fire was, bundling their children and trying to get them out of the backyards," she recounted.

She said people in the neighborhood were yelling "This is awful," "I live down there," and "My family is down there."

Judy and Frank Serrsseque were walking down a hill away from the flames with a makeshift wagon carrying important documents, medication and three cats.

Judy Serrsseque said she heard an explosion, saw that fire was headed toward their home and knew they had to leave. As they fled, they said they saw people burned and people struggling to get their things out of burning houses.

"We got everything together, and we just got out," Judy Serrsseque. "Mostly we're wondering if we have a house to go back to."

The fire was burning in the neighborhood where San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval was renting a home. He was playing with the team in San Diego, but a source told KTVU that his mother had safely escaped the flames.

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© 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

DEADLY GAS EXPLOSION DESTROYS SAN BRUNO HOMES

A massive fire burned out of control, incinerating more than a dozen homes and killing at least one person, as it roared through a mostly residential ...

http://cbs5.com/local/san.bruno.explosion.2.1905322.html

Sent from CBS5 on iPhone

Víctor Lei

1 dead after large explosion, fire in San Bruno

1 dead after large explosion, fire in San Bruno

- view video -
San Bruno neighborhood on fire
Updated on: 2010-09-09 22:40:16

- view video -
San Bruno explosion: Eyewitness account
Updated on: 2010-09-09 23:13:40

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 10:06 PM PDT

At least one person is dead and mulitple homes are on fire after a large explosion in the area near highways 280 and 380, Skyline Boulevard and Sneath Lane in San Bruno.

A large fireball up to 50 feet in the air continues to burn out of control in the Crestmoor Two area. Fire crews are attacking the fires from the air and ground. As many as 25 homes are on fire or have burned.

It is believed that a 24-inch PG&E high-pressure gas line is the source of the explosion and fire.

The Office of Emegency Services is giving the central location of the incident as Clairmont and Glenview drives.The San Mateo County Sheriff has activated the reverse-911 system to alert people in a three-quarter mile radius of a voluntary evacuation.

People as far as one-half mile away say they felt the boom and heat of the explosion.

An evacuation center has been set up at the San Bruno Veterans Memorial Recreation Center at 251 City Park Way. Residents are also gathering at Tanforan and Bay Hill shopping centers. The Red Cross is set up at these locations to provide victim assistance.

The PETCO at the Tanforan shopping center is offering overnight shelter for small animals.

The initial explosion blew out a water line and fire fighters were without water for the first 30 minutes. Crews are shuttling water into area.

Northbound and southbound I-280 exits at San Bruno Avenue are closed at this time. In addition, Skyline Boulevard, Sneath Lane and San Bruno Avenue are closed. Drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible.

At least 5,000 PG&E customers are without power.

Mills Peninsula Hospital is treating 10 patients with injuries in their emergency room. San Francisco General Hospital has at least five patients, one person in critical condition. Kaiser in South San Francisco is treating 15 patients. Seaton Medical Center is treating three patients.

The FAA says it was not a plane. SFO spokesperson Mike McCarron says no plane from SFO is involved.

SFO has told pilots to switch to instruments due to poor visability.

Capuchino High School in San Bruno will be offering on-campus counseling Friday.

Red Cross Hotline for Victims: 888-443-5722. An evacuation center has been set up at the San Bruno Veterans Memorial Recreation Center at 251 City Park Way.

uReport:
Take part in the news. Upload videos and photos to uReport.abc7news.com or e-mail them to uReport@kgo-tv.com .
Story posted 2010.09.09 at 10:06 PM PDT

---

All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

.

Víctor Lei

Massive Fire Ball In San Bruno; One Dead, Six Critically Burned

That's horrible!!!!!!

Spare the Air

Massive Fire Ball In San Bruno; One Dead, Six Critically Burned

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Page 1 of 2

Story posted 2010.09.09 at 09:54 PM PDT

A massive fireball, possibly fueled by a broken natural gas line, erupted in the San Bruno foothills early Thursday evening, igniting at least 30 homes, killing at least one person and sending dozens of people to a local hospitals, six of those in critical condition, authorities said.

The four-alarm conflagration, soaring several hundred feet into the air in a tornadic column of fire, started at about 6:15 p.m. at Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue, according to the battalion chief's office.

The San Mateo County coroner confirmed that at least one person has died in the blaze.

"From the reports we have, we have at least one" fatality, coroner Robert Foucrault said.

Local residents said they felt an explosion followed by a fireball that soared hundreds of feet into the air.

"We heard what sounded like a plane, then all of a sudden an explosion," Carmann Robbins told KTVU. "It shook the window. It kind of startled me. We jumped up and then all you could see was flames. The flames were just spreading all through the houses. I don't think the people had time to get out. It (the fire) was jumping from one house to one house to another."

Jane Porcelli, 62, said she lives on a hill above where the fire is centered. She said she thought she heard a plane overhead with a struggling engine.

"And then you heard this bang. And everything shook except the floor, so we knew it wasn't an earthquake," Porcelli said.

"I feel helpless that I can't do anything. I just gotta sit by and watch."

At 6:14 p.m., Stephanie Mullen, Associated Press news editor for photos based in San Francisco, was attending children's soccer practice with her two children and husband at Cresmoor High School when she saw the blast.

"First, it was a low deep roar and everybody looked up, and we all knew something big was happening," she said. "Then there was a huge explosion with a ball of fire that went up behind the high school several thousand feet into the sky.

"Everybody grabbed their children and ran and put their children in their cars," Mullen said. "It was very clear something awful had happened."

Several minutes later, Mullen was near the fire scene, about a half-mile away in a middle-class neighborhood of 1960s vintage homes in hills overlooking San Francisco, the bay and the airport.

She said she could feel the heat of the fire on her face although she was three or four blocks away from the blaze. It appeared the fireball was big enough to have engulfed at least several homes.

"I could see families in the backyards of the homes next to where the fire was, bundling their children and trying to get them out of the backyards," she recounted.

She said people in the neighborhood were yelling "This is awful," "I live down there," and "My family is down there."

Judy and Frank Serrsseque were walking down a hill away from the flames with a makeshift wagon carrying important documents, medication and three cats.

Judy Serrsseque said she heard an explosion, saw that fire was headed toward their home and knew they had to leave. As they fled, they said they saw people burned and people struggling to get their things out of burning houses.

"We got everything together, and we just got out," Judy Serrsseque. "Mostly we're wondering if we have a house to go back to."

The fire was burning in the neighborhood where San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval was renting a home. He was playing with the team in San Diego, but a source told KTVU that his mother had safely escaped the flames.

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Víctor Lei

The Simpsons Movie theatrical trailer 1 — Simpsons Crazy

Run, run! Jump, jump! Rest, rest!


The Simpsons Movie theatrical trailer 1 — Simpsons Crazy

Lying on Your Resume: What Are the Consequences? - MonsterCollege™

Everyone should beware of this when writing a resume...


Lying on Your Resume: What Are the Consequences? - MonsterCollege™

My Most Furious Day As Of Right Now, And It Is My Brother Again!!

This afternoon, I was working with my own project, my brother was playing online games, (honestly I don't care if he was playing online games or not) then when I got some ideas to write something out on the paper, he started making noise. So I asked him to keep quiet, he didn't listen to me. Then I asked him another time, he ignored me. Then the third time, forth time, and so on… he continued to make noise, and he made more noise!! I was getting furious, then he suddenly stood up and with the fucking killer-like face! He scolded me that I'm narrow-minded!!!
Yes!!!! I'm narrow-minded!!!!! Yes!!!!!!! I'm ungenerous!!!!!! But if you want to ask someone stop doing something disturbing, and he never listens to you, will you be furious??!! First time, that's OK, second time, I assumed you didn't hear it clear, but after third and forth advises, you still continue the disturbing behavior. All of us have our bottom lines, everything shouldn't beyond our bottom lines. What is UNGENEROUS? You better to look up your dictionary to see if this word is the best description of my mood right now! OK??!!

Víctor Lei

If you don't want yourself to be angry, just pretend you didn't see something you don't want to see…

This is quite long blog post title, but it describes what I'm thinking right now. There is so much pressure on me everyday, no matter it is from work or from other places. However, every single moment when I'm at home, I always see something that makes me furious because it is not something I want to see in my house! Yes! I don't want to see it anymore! But besides being angry, what is the best way to do? I don't know. I will pretend not to see it, because when I see it, I'll be furious.

If you want to continue to play your online games, I have no way to ban you. But if you skip classes and make your grades terrible, this is the thing I cannot endure! If you don't want to listen to my advice, that's fine. I won't care about you anymore. But if you get in trouble because of playing the online games excessively, you have to take your own responsibility. Understand?!

Víctor Lei

Anxiously Waiting For This Apple Gadget!

Check out this product from the Apple Store:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC544LL/A

Víctor Lei