Huge gas pipeline explosion, fire in San Bruno near San Francisco

Friday, September 10, 2010 Gas line explosion near San Francisco torches neighborhood ... At least four people were killed and dozens were injured in San Bruno, Calif., in a fire that ripped through the town Thursday evening after a natural gas line exploded causing a massive fireball ... http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/massive_blast_caused_destroys_gas_E8C33SsB76eFuhiMZW   At least 23 people have been injured and one person killed after a gas pipe exploded in a Northern California neighbourhood. The explosion near San Francisco airport created a massive fireball and started fires that engulfed more than 50 buildings Local residents in the San Bruno neighbourhood said they first thought the blast's loud boom was the result of an earthquake or an aeroplane crash   Dennis Haag, the San Bruno Fire Department Chief, told a news conference: "We have yet to get to the scene of the origin of the fire. We've got 53 homes that have been severely damaged. Up to 120 homes have some fire damage at this point. We have only one confirmed fatality. It's going to take us until at least tomorrow to do a full search." The gas line belongs to the northern California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co, the company said in a statement Water-dropping aircraft assisted fire crew in fighting the blaze, which was spread quickly by high winds after the explosion around 6pm on Thursday evening, local time With fire crews and emergency responders unable to sift through the rubble until later Friday, and local officials pleading with residents to register at emergency shelters, California's acting governor Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado was bracing for a higher death toll from what is one of the largest fires to strike a US city or dense neighbourhood in years "I'm sure we'll find people who have not made it," Maldonado said. "It looks like a bomb went off," he said after touring the destruction. Maldonado said he saw several cars still in the driveways of homes that were destroyed or damaged in the disaster. "That tells me people didn't leave, and that is of grave concern" Up to 200 firefighters were dispatched to battle the blaze, but they were no match for flames whose intense heat reportedly melted fire truck windows and car taillights several dozen yards from the flames Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman Jeff Smith described the fire as "an absolutely horrible situation," and said that if it turns out the utility was to blame, "we will absolutely take accountability for it" A fireman attempts to put out a blaze A firefighter carries equipment as he battles a massive fire A crater filled with water marks the site of the explosion that caused the massive fire  __________________________________________________________________ Do you eat food? Sundance Global - Saving one family at a time. heavenlyhands.mysundanceglobal.com Sundance Global offers long and short term food storage solutions. Serve and Reserve. __________________________________________________________________  Grow your own organic food anywhere.      Click here: Easy Garden ________________________________________________