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All six people injured in a gas line explosion and fire that leveled at least one home near Hayward on Thursday are in stable condition, authorities said Friday afternoon.
The six were sent to the hospital following the explosion in the 800 block of East Lewelling Boulevard in the unincorporated Alameda County community of Ashland. Mutual aid was called for backup and 75 firefighters were on the scene battling the blaze.
Three of the victims had minor injuries and three had more serious injuries but were listed in stable condition, including a resident who was badly burned, according to Cheryl Hurd, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Fire Department.
In addition to burns, victims were treated for respiratory issues and fractured bones, Hurd said.
As of Friday afternoon, all residents in the area were accounted for and all lingering hotspots were doused, she said.
Now that the initial emergency response is complete, the National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the investigation into the cause of the explosion.
“A team of four NTSB investigators are arriving at the scene today,” according to a statement from NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson. “Once on site, investigators will begin the process of documenting the accident scene and conducting an initial visual examination of the pipeline and equipment involved.”
NTSB investigations involve three primary areas — human factors, the pipeline system and the operating environment, Knudson said in an email.
Initial information released by fire officials and PG&E indicate that the explosion happened about two hours after a construction crew hit a PG&E gas line at 7:35 a.m. Thursday (Dec. 11).
The “third-party” crew — not affiliated with PG&E – notified the utility that its workers had struck an underground gas line at the home, and the utility sent people out to isolate the damaged line and stop the flow of gas, which was complete by 9:25 a.m., according to PG&E.
About 10 minutes later, however, an explosion leveled at least one home and significantly damaged at least two others. The Red Cross was called in to aid those who were displaced.
ACFD did not locate any fire hotspots in the area after flying a drone over the site Friday, according to Hurd.
“My heart goes out to everyone affected by the explosion on E. Lewelling Blvd in my district,” Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, whose district also includes Pleasanton, said in a statement on Facebook. “My office is closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the brave first responders for their quick and professional response. I am keeping all those impacted in my thoughts.”
Bo Yan lives two doors down on the same side of the street and said she was in her backyard when the house went up in flames.
“There was a boom and then there was the roof in the sky,” Yan said.
Yan’s house, along with several others in on the block, endured varying amounts of damage from the explosion, including extensive cracks in ceilings and walls that are reminiscent of earthquake damage, she said.
In addition to statements from witnesses like Yan, NTSB investigators will look at pipeline operating practices and procedures, pipeline pressures before and during the accident, maintenance records and local environmental conditions, including soil conditions for buried pipelines, among other things.
“Because the NTSB is only staffed to investigate a very small fraction of the pipeline accidents, NTSB selects pipeline accidents for investigation based on the potential to identify broader safety implications, high public risk, and resources available,” Knudson said.
Anyone with video or other information about the explosion can contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
– Story by Kiley Russell and Alise Maripuu, Bay City News Service. Pleasanton Weekly editorial director Jeremy Walsh contributed.
