World

San Francisco Explosion: Underground Blast Prompts Evacuations

by Tina Kells | June 5, 2009 at 03:24 pm

968 views | 26 Recommendations | 3 comments

An explosion in San Francisco has caused a series of voluntary evacuations after thick black smoke and a strong stench made some residents opt to leave temporarily. The San Francisco explosion cut power to 8,800 homes.

San Francisco firefighters were quick to respond and forced fire retardant foam down a manhole cover to smother the fire below. Police closed off two square blocks while firefighters dealt with the aftermath of the underground explosion which was caused by a stray electrical cable that caught fire after a transformer fault, igniting nearby gas lines.

Pacific Gas and Electric says the blast occurred around 11:30 a.m. Friday and that crews found an electrical cable burning in a vault. Police cordoned off a two-block area, and firefighters sprayed foam into the manhole.

A power spokesman says the company is waiting for crews to finish extinguishing the fire so it can investigate and get power back on.

Authorities say the problem apparently originated in a transformer but they haven't been able to examine it.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Phil Worley (not verified)

at 16:52 on June 5th, 2009

Hey guys thanks for all this info! Now I hope I can finish watching Legally Blonde with my boyfriend!

xoxo

Phil

clay dawson (not verified)

at 09:15 on June 6th, 2009

I talked to a police sergeant and he told me that the fire occurred from a miscomunication between pge and the fire dept. either pge told the fire dept that electricity was off and to put a small fire out, or the fire dept. took action before pge had shut the power off and shot flame retardant down the manhole causing a big explosion and increased fire. either way, it was a mistake that impacted thousands of people, including myself, with evacutations, power loss, and the inability to get my car out of a parking garage on ofarrell all day!

dumzen

at 08:55 on June 7th, 2009

The response and efficiency of the fire dept and police in an emergency situation determines the readiness and williness of the public servants to show their loyalty to serve the public. Something I greatly admired most with the spirit of the American Society, but rather a lacking quality and poor commitment within the African Continent and their respective towns and cities.