Wednesday, March 2, 2011

[californiadisasters] Chaotic First Minutes After San Bruno Blast



Chaotic first minutes after San Bruno blast

Demian Bulwa, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

(03-01) 17:33 PST SAN BRUNO -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s initial response to the pipeline blast in San Bruno was hampered by uncertainty and inaction, with nearly 20 minutes passing before the utility's control center linked a pressure plunge in the line with reports of a soaring fireball, documents released Tuesday show.

The first employee PG&E dispatched to the disaster scene got stuck in commute traffic - and in any event didn't know how to stop the flow of natural gas that was feeding the inferno, according to the records released by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Because there were no automatic or remote-controlled gas shutoff valves available, the Sept. 9 inferno that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes raged unabated until two off-duty PG&E mechanics could pick up their tools from a service yard and make their way to manual valves. They finally cut the gas flow in the transmission line after nearly an hour and a half.

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