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Current Events => Breaking News => Topic started by: Chris_ on September 10, 2010, 09:40:55 AM

Title: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Chris_ on September 10, 2010, 09:40:55 AM
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/kayaktn/090910_sfblast_604x341.jpg)

At least six people have died, 54 homes have been destroyed and more than 120 have been damaged after a massive explosion sent blazes roaring through a neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco, authorities said Friday.

The explosion, which occurred just after 6 p.m. on Thursday, shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet in the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety and rushing to get belongings out of burning homes, witnesses said.

San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag confirmed to Fox News that at least six people were killed and 39 were reported injured -- some with severe burns. 

Utility officials said a gas line ruptured in the vicinity of the blast, which left a crater the size of an intersection and sent flames tearing across several suburban blocks in San Bruno just after 6 p.m.

Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/09/09/large-explosion-reported-california-hillside/)
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Chris_ on September 10, 2010, 09:42:33 AM
Quote
The Carnage Of San Bruno's Deadly Fire

Last night, as residents of the sleepy San Francisco suburb of San Bruno sat down to dinner, their world exploded in a fireball. Here's a closer look at the carnage.
Jalopnik (http://jalopnik.com/5634741/the-carnage-of-san-brunos-deadly-fire/gallery/)

Lots of pictures of seriously melted cars.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: JohnnyReb on September 10, 2010, 09:46:25 AM


Half a dozen synchronized peaceful people could take out a whole city you know.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Revolution on September 10, 2010, 09:53:53 AM
Holy moley! It looks like those cars just drove through a molten steel filled foundry. My thoughts and prayers are going out to those affected.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 10, 2010, 10:25:48 AM
Jalopnik (http://jalopnik.com/5634741/the-carnage-of-san-brunos-deadly-fire/gallery/)

Lots of pictures of seriously melted cars.

The lefties over there are already bitchin about Insurance companies!

Go figure!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: debk on September 10, 2010, 10:27:12 AM
I was still awake at 3 this morning, and Fox News went to a special report from the scene.

The fire chief was interviewed, and some reporter asked if he had every seen anything like this before ( ::))...he said "no, and I hope I never do again...". A couple of times, his voice kind of quivered.

I cannot imagine how horrendous this is for these people. I guess, the only good thing, was that if so many people had to be at home at the time, at least it was dinnertime, not in the middle of the night. With it at dinnertime, people were awake and those that could were able to get the heck out fairly quickly. If it had been the middle of the night.... :(
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: crockspot on September 10, 2010, 11:43:42 AM
Natural gas lines do not typically explode. The gas they carry is not flammable until it is mixed with air, such as at your stove or furnace. Otherwise, gas lines would be blowing up all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be a deliberate act. I also wouldn't be surprised if we never were told that finding.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 10, 2010, 11:54:26 AM
Natural gas lines do not typically explode. The gas they carry is not flammable until it is mixed with air, such as at your stove or furnace. Otherwise, gas lines would be blowing up all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be a deliberate act. I also wouldn't be surprised if we never were told that finding.

I've only been exposed to one such "explosion", and it was a leak that settled under a house until it finally found an ignition source.

It picked up the house off the foundation and launched it half a city block! The explosion broke windows for nearly a mile around the epicenter!

Natural gas is heavier than air, and if you don't notice it, it becomes one helluva bomb!

ETA:

Check these out!

Natural gas explosions in recent history! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_explosion)

The one that sticks in my head is the one in Mexico where it literally blew the streets all to hell for blocks around!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: true_blood on September 10, 2010, 12:18:35 PM
Holy moley! It looks like those cars just drove through a molten steel filled foundry. My thoughts and prayers are going out to those affected.

Man, that is some bad stuff. My thoughts and prayers to all affected.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: The Hollywood NeoCon on September 10, 2010, 12:27:42 PM
Ok look, I know this was a serious explosion and all, but come on...

Quote
(RexMaximus) 12:52 PM
Invite a friend to comment

I feel sorry for these families' losses. First their homes, then the inevitable swarms of endoskeletons and super mutants.

Now THAT'S funny.  :rotf:
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: IassaFTots on September 10, 2010, 12:32:48 PM
Anyone heard from CR today????
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: debk on September 10, 2010, 12:35:52 PM
Anyone heard from CR today????

Is that where she lives? :(
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: IassaFTots on September 10, 2010, 12:39:14 PM
Is that where she lives? :(

I just know she is in the Bay Area.  Which is pretty broad. 
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Chris_ on September 10, 2010, 12:46:24 PM
She's not around San Bruno.  South of there, in a different area.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Thor on September 10, 2010, 12:46:41 PM
I had just started work at a cable company that was having a contractor install new cable lines for the company  when they hit a gas line with one of the utility pole anchors. That was the one referenced in the wiki link that happened on Dec 11th, 1998. The truth of the story is when the city built the sidewalk, they filled in what they needed with granite blocks before they poured the sidewalk. Not being able to detect the granite block, the contractors started auguring in the anchor. It hit the buried granite block, went askew and ruptured a gas line. Underground gas lines doing a strange thing, they "wiggle around" over time and create a hole around the buried gas line. The gas escaped and followed the hole into a building. Speculation has it that either someone lit a cigarette in the gas filled build OR a water heater pilot light ignited the gas. Regardless, it blew up the entire block. One of two people were killed and a few others were injured. I was a little apprehensive about my job with the cable company as I had just started four days earlier. There were many lawsuits filed against the cable company, NSP and a few other entities.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: IassaFTots on September 10, 2010, 12:49:04 PM
She's not around San Bruno.  South of there, in a different area.

Good.  Thanks for that!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 10, 2010, 01:03:10 PM
I had just started work at a cable company that was having a contractor install new cable lines for the company  when they hit a gas line with one of the utility pole anchors. That was the one referenced in the wiki link that happened on Dec 11th, 1998. The truth of the story is when the city built the sidewalk, they filled in what they needed with granite blocks before they poured the sidewalk. Not being able to detect the granite block, the contractors started auguring in the anchor. It hit the buried granite block, went askew and ruptured a gas line. Underground gas lines doing a strange thing, they "wiggle around" over time and create a hole around the buried gas line. The gas escaped and followed the hole into a building. Speculation has it that either someone lit a cigarette in the gas filled build OR a water heater pilot light ignited the gas. Regardless, it blew up the entire block. One of two people were killed and a few others were injured. I was a little apprehensive about my job with the cable company as I had just started four days earlier. There were many lawsuits filed against the cable company, NSP and a few other entities.

I was doin' a remodel in a Safeway grocery store once and we hit a telephone trunk line!

Knocked out the phones all the way to Canada! We had a locate, but the dipshit who sprayed the location was off by 3 frikkin' feet!

We ended up sharing the $20,000 fine with the locating company!

I thought at the time and still do, that we got screwed!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Chris_ on September 10, 2010, 01:05:59 PM
We ended up sharing the $20,000 fine with the locating company!

I thought at the time and still do, that we got screwed!

I would have to agree.  I thought locating companies assumed all the liability... they're required here if any digging is done.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 10, 2010, 01:29:14 PM
I would have to agree.  I thought locating companies assumed all the liability... they're required here if any digging is done.

I think it was my boss who decided we share the liability just to be a nice guy and save some money stayin' outa court! The locator was adamant that all locates have a plus minus error factor. Kinda like DUmmie polls!

I was the Super and argued against it! After all, my profit margin generally hovered around 8 frikkin' %! Needless to say it affected my bonus! I was sure we would win if it came down to it, but it would have meant keepin' me in town was more than he was willin' to do. The greedy capitalistic bastard!

We didn't turn it in on our insurance as it would have made our rates go up and in the long run woulda cost more!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Thor on September 10, 2010, 10:41:30 PM
I can't for any other state except MN, but with their locates, they are allowed two feet, either side. That basically allows for a tolerance of four feet. That's not cut & dried, but a general rule of thumb. In the end, the person doing the digging is ultimately responsible. There were several times I was doing outside cable TV work and I would connect my locator just to verify that the locates were accurate because some weren't. I learned that after I cut a phone line or two (house type phone lines)
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Celtic Rose on September 11, 2010, 01:00:45 AM
Anyone heard from CR today????

I'm fine.  Thank you for thinking of me.    :-*  I'm in the more southern part of the bay area. 
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: IassaFTots on September 11, 2010, 08:30:20 AM
I'm fine.  Thank you for thinking of me.    :-*  I'm in the more southern part of the bay area. 

Glad to hear it.     :cheersmate:  I know the Bay Area is expansive, but I didn't know where you were in it all. 
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Revolution on September 11, 2010, 08:33:35 AM
I didn't know you were living there either, CR. Thanks for keeping us in the know, and I'm very glad you're okay.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 11, 2010, 03:08:48 PM
I'm fine.  Thank you for thinking of me.    :-*  I'm in the more southern part of the bay area. 

Good dam thing! How are we goin' to repopulate the world when the shirt hits the fan, if we lose our conservative womyns?????? lol!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: BlueStateSaint on September 11, 2010, 04:24:29 PM
I've heard that this was a steel gas main, and steel gas mains are the most likely to fail--sometimes catastrophically.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 11, 2010, 04:30:19 PM
I've heard that this was a steel gas main, and steel gas mains are the most likely to fail--sometimes catastrophically.

The one I was a witness to was in Spokane. It was the coupling to the house that failed. DUmbass had done it to himself. He never checked his connections for leaks. Since it was under the house, it basically filled the crawl space full of gas. When it finally seeped thru the floor, it found the pilot light on the water heater or the forced air furnace!

KABOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Ptarmigan on September 11, 2010, 06:10:50 PM
I'm fine.  Thank you for thinking of me.    :-*  I'm in the more southern part of the bay area. 

That's good to hear. Did you hear and/or feel the explosion?
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Celtic Rose on September 11, 2010, 06:15:30 PM
That's good to hear. Did you hear and/or feel the explosion?

No, I was too far away. 
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: thundley4 on September 14, 2010, 12:58:09 PM
Let the fear mongering begin. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39159597/ns/us_news-life/)  This is from PMSNBC, but Fox News was also talking about the aging gas pipe lines in the country and how they are all at risk of blowing us all sky high.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: zeitgeist on September 14, 2010, 01:25:46 PM
Let the fear mongering begin. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39159597/ns/us_news-life/)  This is from PMSNBC, but Fox News was also talking about the aging gas pipe lines in the country and how they are all at risk of blowing us all sky high.

I have never been big a fan of gas and am proably not alone in the belief that it can go kaboom with the least provocation.   Now, what I am waiting to hear is it was actually caused by "Burning a Koran"!! :rotf:
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Chris_ on September 14, 2010, 01:30:50 PM
Let the fear mongering begin. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39159597/ns/us_news-life/)  This is from PMSNBC, but Fox News was also talking about the aging gas pipe lines in the country and how they are all at risk of blowing us all sky high.

Interesting... the official investigation has not come to any conclusion, but the jeanyuses in the media already have a crusade picked out.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 14, 2010, 01:58:57 PM
Let the fear mongering begin. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39159597/ns/us_news-life/)  This is from PMSNBC, but Fox News was also talking about the aging gas pipe lines in the country and how they are all at risk of blowing us all sky high.

Where are these aging pipelines? Hell, I'm pretty much out in the boondocks compared to most and they just updated ours 2 years ago! I know, because 1200 feet of it is in my front pasture and adjacent hay field.
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: IassaFTots on September 14, 2010, 02:18:23 PM
Where are these aging pipelines? Hell, I'm pretty much out in the boondocks compared to most and they just updated ours 2 years ago! I know, because 1200 feet of it is in my front pasture and adjacent hay field.

Well, we have a whole mess of em down here.....this article is from July.  http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/070910dnmetgaslines.11cacd493.html

Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 14, 2010, 02:20:29 PM
Well, we have a whole mess of em down here.....this article is from July.  http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/070910dnmetgaslines.11cacd493.html



Must depend on your utility company. Ours has been upgrading to the new yellow PVC for at least 8 years!

Guess that's what happens when the state isn't tryin' to regulate 'em to death!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: Chris_ on September 14, 2010, 10:54:56 PM
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/kayaktn/sanbrunostreetview2.jpg)
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/kayaktn/sanbrunostreetview3.jpg)
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: AllosaursRus on September 14, 2010, 11:21:08 PM
Holy Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard this mornin' they originally thought it was a plane because two pilots reported it to the tower! They didn't get the gas shut off for over an hour!
Title: Re: Huge Blast, Fire Kills 6 And Destroys Dozens of Homes Near San Francisco
Post by: debk on September 15, 2010, 12:30:37 AM
I'm surprised that Obama and his Merry Band of Idiots, haven't decided to use the "aging gas lines" as a reason for asking for stimulus money to create jobs replacing them all over the country.

Not exactly a bad idea....but he's lagging behind, he should already be flying all over the country, telling the loyal subjects that he is going to do this. It's been what...4 days since it happened? Tsk Tsk....Rahm is letting a disaster go to waste. 







Seriously.....anyone with a heart, has to feel pain for those poor people who lost their lives, their families, and those who are injured, and all those who lost their homes. Losing a family member, or becoming injured is one thing. Losing a home is another thing. Combine them together....it would be hard to ever recover from the loss.
God bless them all............