San Bruno Gas Line Explosion and Fire

[vanoochka]

Everybody OK?

[Got the Bug]

News reports this morning are saying that 6 people died and 53 homes were destroyed in the fire. I watched the live coverage on the local ABC channel last night. Hard to believe how powerful the fire was. Just devastating and tragic for the families involved.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BPMD.DTL&tsp=1

[Snakebit]

There was a gas main explosion in Edison NJ about 10 years ago. There were a bunch of condo's near the fire. The heat was so intense it melted the vinyl siding on the condo's and blistered the paint on the cars! With flames that high I knew it was a gas main. I think the explosion took out the water main and the fire fighters had to pump water from 2 miles away. I feel sorry for the people who lost everything. But as long as you escaped with your life, "Stuff" can be replaced.

[PANAVIA]

Giant mess -- the public response to the injured and affected people has been very cool though. -- proud to be a northern Californian.

-- I am sure more details to follow, but the main that broke was 60 years old and word is that it had been leaking for days (if not weeks) prior to the event.

[Trueoo7]

Originally Posted by PANAVIA

Giant mess -- the public response to the injured and affected people has been very cool though. -- proud to be a northern Californian.

-- I am sure more details to follow, but the main that broke was 60 years old and word is that it had been leaking for days (if not weeks) prior to the event.

Not true about it leaking, the company did not receive any odor complaints in the week leading up to the explosion nor did the local fire dept. The age of the pipe can be misleading, there are 60 year old bridges and buildings out there that are subject to as much stress and they still work fine.

[Ibr8k4vetts]

Originally Posted by Trueoo7

there are 60 year old bridges and buildings out there that are subject to as much stress and they still work fine.

True, But how many of the Bridges and Buidings were Welded like the gasline?
PS A hairline crack in a Bridges and Buidings is no big deal...but a gasline!

[Trueoo7]

Originally Posted by Ibr8k4vetts

True, But how many of the Bridges and Buidings were Welded like the gasline?
PS A hairline crack in a Bridges and Buidings is no big deal...but a gasline!

I don't know about that....The Silver bridge over the Ohio river collapsed in 1967 and took 46 people to their death and that was caused by cracking.

On a high pressure transmission line, which this was, every weld is x-rayed.

[Ibr8k4vetts]

Originally Posted by Trueoo7

I don't know about that....The Silver bridge over the Ohio river collapsed in 1967 and took 46 people to their death and that was caused by cracking.

On a high pressure transmission line, which this was, every weld is x-rayed.

So you are telling me that pipe was X-raied 40- 60 years ago?

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Trueoo7

Not true about it leaking, the company did not receive any odor complaints in the week leading up to the explosion nor did the local fire dept. The age of the pipe can be misleading, there are 60 year old bridges and buildings out there that are subject to as much stress and they still work fine.

One, PG&E is still searching it's call logs, so there's no definitive answer on any complaints prior to the explosion. The investigation needs to be complete before we could answer this question.

Two, PG&E has been caught not telling the truth before, so while history is no indicator of the future, I'll wait until the NTSB and the State of CA finishes their investigation before making statements like those above.

[Ibr8k4vetts]

I have no Dog in this hunt! i just think it might be our infrastructure dieing!

[Trueoo7]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

One, PG&E is still searching it's call logs, so there's no definitive answer on any complaints prior to the explosion. The investigation needs to be complete before we could answer this question.

Two, PG&E has been caught not telling the truth before, so while history is no indicator of the future, I'll wait until the NTSB and the State of CA finishes their investigation before making statements like those above.

Not making statements, just quoting what has already been said by the NTSB.

"The initial observations don't show any physical damage," said Christopher Hart, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the probe. NTSB investigators and the utility also have found no evidence that any customers called the utility to complain about gas odors in the days before the explosion, Hart said, which is at odds with claims made by some residents.


as reported in the LA Times

[RodKnock]

Just wait. It's only been a week. We all know that stories can change with pressure and time.