San Francisco Natural Gas Explosion, Evacuations: No Injuries

SEATTLE (Oil Monster):  A natural gas explosion in the 3300 block of Geary Boulevard sparked a three-alarm fire Wednesday afternoon. There have been no injuries and no one has been reported missing, according to San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. However, everyone has been evacuated within a block in each direction, and residents will be kept out at least until Thursday.

Reports indicate the explosion was caused when a third-party construction crew working in the area struck a pipeline, PG&E Spokeswoman Teresa Jimenez told Patch.

Gas running to the 12-inch distribution pipeline was shut off by PG&E at 3:35 p.m., she said.

"The gas line has been shut off and the area has been made safe," Jimenez said. "We worked with first responders to shut off the gas as quickly as possible."

About 300 customers will be without gas until repairs can be made, according to the spokeswoman.

Additionally, about 3,000 customers are without power, she said.

High-voltage wires were compromised by the explosion.

Five buildings sustained fire damage, along with vehicles. When gas was still escaping, flames dwarfed an adjacent two-story building.

Firefighters and police officers went door-to-door to confirm that everyone was out of the evacuation area. There are two reunification sites for people who live in the area: St. Mary's Cathedral and Mel's Diner.

The initial report of the explosion came at 1:18 p.m., according to the fire chief.

On Sept. 9, 2010, a notorious gas pipeline explosion occurred just south of San Francisco, in the city of San Bruno. The exploding PG&E gas line killed eight people, injured 66, destroyed 38 homes and severely damaged 17 others in the city's Crestmoor neighborhood.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found the explosion was caused by a defective seam weld in a pipeline segment that was incorrectly listed in PG&E records as seamless.

Courtesy: www.patch.com