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Coordinates: 37°37′21″N 122°26′31″W / 37.622524°N 122.441903°W / 37.622524; -122.441903
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* [http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov National Pipeline Mapping System] - Location of gas transport pipelines
* [http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov National Pipeline Mapping System] - Location of gas transport pipelines


[[Category:San Bruno, California]]
[[Category:Fires in California]]
[[Category:Fires in California]]
[[Category:Explosions in the United States]]
[[Category:Explosions in the United States]]

Revision as of 04:52, 12 June 2011

San Bruno pipeline explosion
Remains of a portion of the natural gas pipeline after the explosion.
DateThursday, September 9, 2010 (2010-09-09)
Time18:11 UTC-7
LocationSan Bruno, California
United States
Coordinates37°37′21″N 122°26′31″W / 37.622524°N 122.441903°W / 37.622524; -122.441903
Casualties
Fatalities: 8
Missing: 6
Injured: 60
[1][2][3]

The 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion occurred at 6:11 p.m. PDT on September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, California, a suburb of San Francisco, when a 30 inch diameter steel natural gas pipeline owned by Pacific Gas & Electric exploded in flames in the Crestmoor residential neighborhood 2 mi (3.2 km) west of San Francisco International Airport[4] near Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue.[5] The loud roar and shaking led some residents of the area, first responders, and news media to initially believe that it was an earthquake or that a large jetliner from nearby San Francisco International Airport had crashed. It took crews nearly an hour to determine it was a gas pipeline explosion.[6] As of September 29, 2010, the death toll was eight people.[7] The U.S. Geological Survey registered the explosion and resulting shock wave as a magnitude 1.1 earthquake.[8][9] Eye witnesses reported the initial blast "had a wall of fire more than 1,000 feet high".[10]

Explosion and fire

View of the fire on Sep. 9, 2010 at 11:31 p.m. PDT

At 6:11:12 p.m. PDT on September 9, 2010, a huge explosion occurred in the Crestmoor residential neighborhood of San Bruno, near Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue.[8] This caused a fire, which quickly engulfed nearby houses. Emergency responders of San Bruno and nearby cities soon arrived at the scene and evacuated surrounding neighborhoods. Strong winds fanned the flames, hampering extinguishing efforts.[11] The blaze was fed by a ruptured gas pipe, and large clouds of smoke soared into the sky. It took 60 to 90 minutes to shut off the gas after the explosion, according to San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag.[12] The explosion and the resulting fire leveled 35 houses and damaged many more. Three more homes, deemed uninhabitable were torn down in December, bringing the total to 38. About 200 firefighters continued to battle the eight alarm fire that resulted from the explosions.[13][14] The explosion excavated an asymmetric crater 167 feet (51 m) long, 26 feet (7.9 m) wide[15] and 40 feet (12 m) deep along the sidewalk of Glenview Drive in front of 1701 Earl Avenue (a corner house), but many of the destroyed homes were eastward in the 1600 block of Claremont Drive.[12]

The neighborhood continued to burn into the night even after the exploding gas main had been shut off

The fire continued to burn for several hours after the initial explosion. The explosion compromised a water main and necessitated that firefighters truck in water from outside sources. Firefighters were assisted by residents who dragged fire hoses nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to working hydrants.[16] Ordinary citizens drove injured people and burn victims to the hospital. Mutual aid responded from all over the Bay Area, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection who sent 25 fire engines, 4 airtankers, 2 air attack planes, and 1 helicopter.[17] The fire was only fifty percent contained by 10 p.m. PDT and continued to burn until about 11:40 a.m. PDT the next day.[18][19] As of September 29, 2010, the death toll was eight people.[7] Among the eight deaths was 20 year old, Jessica Morales, who was was with her boyfriend, Joseph Ruigomez, at the epicenter of the fire (his home) on the corner of Earl Ave. Another two people at the Claremont address close to the explosion were among those killed: Jacqueline Greig, 44, and her 13-year-old daughter Janessa Greig. Greig worked for the California Public Utilities Commission, in a small unit that advocates for consumer rights pertaining to natural gas regulations. She had spent part of the summer evaluating PG&E's expansion plans and investment proposals to replace out-of-date pipelines.[20][21] Also killed in the blast were Lavonne Bullis, 82, Greg Bullis, 50, and Will Bullis, 17.[citation needed]

Response

San Bruno

Destruction after fire and explosion in San Bruno

A Red Cross shelter was set up at the Veterans Memorial Recreation Center in San Bruno,[22] and the Blood Centers of the Pacific issued an emergency appeal for blood donations.[23] Some people were evacuated to Tanforan and Bayhill Shopping Centers.[24][25] All elementary schools in the San Bruno Park Elementary School District, as well as Parkside Junior High, were closed on September 10. However, Capuchino High School remained open.[26] Some residents who were evacuated from their homes were allowed to return to those undamaged on Sunday, September 12.[27]

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is the owner of the pipeline. On September 10, PG&E's president, Christopher Johns, said the company was not able to approach the source of the explosion to investigate the cause.[28] An official press release issued by PG&E on September 10 reported the pipe was a 30-inch (76 cm) steel transmission line.[29] PG&E shares fell 8% on the Friday after the explosion[30] reducing the company's market capital by $1.57 billion.[30]

PG&E also reduced their operating pressures by 20% after investigations revealed the pipeline may have been improperly installed.[31]

After the San Bruno pipeline failure, PG&E was required to re-evaluate how it determines the maximum operating pressure for some 1,800 miles of pipeline throughout its system. Specifically, the California Public Utilities Commission asked PG&E officials to show their lines had been tested or examined in a way that could prove the pipeline can withstand the current maximum operating pressure. At the 15 March 2011 deadline for this Report, PG&E was unable to provide documentation for details of some of its gas transmission pipelines.[32]

California state government

Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado made a state of emergency declaration and signed an executive order to provide aid to victims.[14] State regulators ordered PG&E to survey all natural gas lines the company controls in California.[33] Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger later went through the area, after returning from a trade mission in Asia.[34]

Federal government

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier called the devastation "a very serious crisis" and was asking Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to declare it a national disaster area.[14]

Use of technology

The San Bruno explosion was notable for the fact that local technology companies such as Cisco Systems and Google dispatched their emergency response teams to provide emergency communications and enhanced mapping information at the request of responders at the scene. A number of unaffiliated technology volunteers were also requested to support these functions.[35]

Investigation

San Bruno Police declared the area a crime scene to determine if foul play was involved.[14] The National Transportation Safety Board began an investigation into the cause of the explosion.[36] During the days prior to the explosion, some residents reported smelling natural gas in the area.[28][37] A source within PG&E reported a break in natural gas line number 132 caused the explosion. The gas line is a large 30-inch (76 cm) steel pipe.[5][38][39] National Transportation Safety Board vice chairman Christopher Hart said at a briefing that the segment of pipe that blew out onto the street was 28 feet (8.5 m) long, the explosion sent that piece of pipe about 100 feet (30 m) and the blast created a crater 167 feet (51 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide. He said that an inspection of the severed pipe chunk revealed that it was made of several smaller sections that had been welded together and that a seam ran its length. The presence of the welds did not necessarily indicate the pipe had been repaired, he said.[3] Newer pipelines are usually manufactured into the shape needed for these applications, rather than having multiple weaker welded sections that could potentially leak or break.[40]

In January 2011, federal investigators reported that they found numerous defective welds in the pipeline. The thickness of the pipe varied, and some welds did not penetrate the pipes completely. As PG&E increased the pressure in the pipes to meet growing energy demand, the defective welds were further weakened until their failure. As the pipeline was installed in 1956, modern testing methods such as X-rays were not able to detect the problem.[31]

The NTSB held a 3-day public hearing on March 1 through 3, 2011, to gather additional facts for the ongoing investigation of the pipeline rupture and explosion.[41]

Parties to the public hearing included:

The NTSB also published call logs from the Milpitas PG&E gas terminal to a gas control center. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) replacement was started at the Milpitas terminal several hours before the San Bruno explosion.[42]

It was revealed that PG&E had done pipeline replacement work on Line 132 along parts of the San Andreas Fault zone, near this area, to reduce the likelihood of the pipeline failing from an earthquake. However, the replacement was stopped short of the area that failed in 2010.[43]

References

  1. ^ Hoeffel, John; Hennessy-Fiske, Molly; Goffard, Christopher (September 12, 2010). "San Bruno explosion death toll climbs to seven; six are missing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  2. ^ Berton, Justin (September 28, 2010). "Eighth victim of PG&E blast dies". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Leff, Lisa (2010-09-11). "San Bruno Explosion: Residents Wait To Move Back To Burned Neighborhood". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2010-09-12. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "California Crews Battling Massive Fire After Large Explosion". Associated Press/KTXL. September 9, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  5. ^ a b Fagan, Kevin (September 9, 2010). "Huge blast in San Bruno; neighborhood on fire". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 9, 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/first-calls-from-san-bruno-disaster-11636517
  7. ^ a b Melvin, Joshua (2010-10-28). "Death toll in San Bruno pipeline explosion climbs to eight". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2010-10-29. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b "Magnitude 1.1 - San Francisco Bay Area, California". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 11, 2010. [dead link]
  9. ^ "California-Nevada Fault Map centered at 38°N,122°W". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  10. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/12/san-bruno-explosion-photos_n_713976.html#s137507
  11. ^ Lopez, Robert (September 9, 2010). "Strong winds fanning huge San Bruno fire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 9, 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b Gonzalez, Sandra (11 September 2010). "Search for bodies in deadly San Bruno PG&E gas line explosion ends". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  13. ^ Wildermuth, John; Fagan, Kevin; Lagos, Marisa; Van Derbeken, Jaxon (September 10, 2010). "San Bruno explosion: Some victims identified". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  14. ^ a b c d Gomez, Mark (10 September 2010). "San Bruno explosion, fire neighborhood now a crime scene". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  15. ^ Rodgers, Paul; Rosenberg, Mike; Gonzales, Neil (12 September 2010). "More remains found in San Bruno fire; PG&E checking major pipelines for flaws". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 12 September 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Governor Tours San Bruno Gas Line Explosion Site
  17. ^ http://calfire.blogspot.com/2010/09/ca-czu-san-bruno-wui-fire-gas-line.html
  18. ^ "California fire scene: 'Like a moonscape'". CNN. September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  19. ^ "Deadly California fire fully contained". CNN. September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  20. ^ "Federal regulators say California gas pipeline in deadly blast was ranked high risk". Fox News. September 11, 2010.
  21. ^ http://www.kqed.org/a/kqednews/R201009151204/b
  22. ^ Red Cross Opens San Bruno Fire Shelter, CBS5, September 9, 2010 23:55 UTC−07.
  23. ^ Blood Donations Needed Due To San Bruno Fire, CBS5, September 9, 2010 22:22 UTC−07.
  24. ^ Worth, Katie; Koskey, Andrea (12 September 2010). "Deadly fire rips San Bruno neighborhood". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 12 September 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "The Insider: Politicians race to San Bruno". San Jose Mercury News. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  26. ^ School, Road Closures Due To San Bruno Fire, CBS5, September 9, 2010 23:55 UTC−07.
  27. ^ Wildermuth, John; Bulwa, Demian (12 September 2010). "Some displace San Bruno residents will return home today". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 12 September 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ a b Nagourney, Adam; Wollan, Malia (September 10, 2010). "Inquiry Sifting Cause of Blast in the Bay Area". The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  29. ^ "PG&E Continues Response Efforts at Scene of San Bruno Fire". PG&E. September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  30. ^ a b "PG&E shares fall after explosion in California". Google News. Google. 2010-09-11. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  31. ^ a b Jason Dearen (January 21, 2011). "Report by federal investigators on California pipeline blast finds defects in welds". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  32. ^ http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/bay-area/2011/03/pge-threatened-fines-1-million-pipeline-data
  33. ^ "Residents return home after Calif pipeline blowout". San Francisco Chronicle. September 12. Retrieved September 12, 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) [dead link]
  34. ^ "Schwarzenegger tours Calif. gas line blast site". San Francisco Chronicle. September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010. [dead link]
  35. ^ "San Bruno Fire Technical Debrief" (PDF). Carnegie-Mellon University Disaster Management Initiative. November 5, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  36. ^ Lowy, Joan (September 10, 2010). "NTSB to investigate explosion, fire in Calif". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 10, 2010. [dead link]
  37. ^ "Natural gas explosion rocks San Bruno; 4 dead". ABC7 News. September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  38. ^ Gonzales, Sandra; Rosenberg, Mike; Dungan, Jesse; Samuels, Diana (2010-09-09). "Gas line explosion sparks hillside inferno in San Bruno". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2010-09-09. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ "Blaze engulfs homes in California neighborhood". CNN. September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  40. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/investigating-california-pipeline-blast-san-bruno-explosion-gas-11628459F
  41. ^ http://www.ntsb.gov/events/2011/San_Bruno_CA/default.htm
  42. ^ http://milpitas.patch.com/articles/call-logs-of-milpitas-pge-terminal-before-san-bruno-explosion
  43. ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17561367
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