San Bruno Fire Disaster

[loCAtek]

Flames up to 300 feet high

...been listening to the radio news all night; this was easily visible from the highway. Witnesses describe a sound like a 'jet engine going down in your backyard' and a 'thunderous boom'; followed by a huge fireball that grew and grew but didn't abate (the gas was feeding the flames.)
The reports say 52 homes were destroyed; this wasn't over the course of the evening- those homes were consumed almost instantly at the initial blast. Survivors say the block is leveled, what was a neighborhood are now melted concrete slabs.

However, the community response was also immediate; shelters at a senior center opened right away. Requests for the donation of clothes and blood went out just as fast. Even the displaced pets were assisted, as a local Petco said they'd care for any found dogs and cats there, till they can be reunited with their owners. The Red Cross is inundated with calls, I just tried to get through.

[kristina]

Scary.

I've been reading some reports that people had called PG&E within the last week, saying that they smelled gas. If that turns out to be true, and nothing was done, PG&E could be in some very deep kim chee...

[dales]

If PGE is repsonsible, look for heads to roll.

[Gob]

Another example of the US's crumbling infrastructure?

[Joe Guy]

Another example of the US's crumbling infrastructure?

My mother lives about 2 miles from this disaster. I could see the black clouds from my house, from 20 miles away.

It's not about a 'crumbling infrastructure' Mr Gob.

My guess is that someone damaged a gas line and set this thing off. Of course, most people will blame the local utility company, PG&E.

Nobody really knows the cause at this time.

P.S. I went and dropped off some clothing & food today at San Bruno Park. The Red Cross, County & City workers are helping out the locals over there.

[dales]

P.S. I went and dropped off some clothing & food today at San Bruno Park. The Red Cross, County & City workers are helping out the locals over there.

Excellent, Joe.

[Gob]

Joe, I'm glad your mother is safe.

My comment on crumbling infrastructure was related to this idea/thread.

[Joe Guy]

Joe, I'm glad your mother is safe.

Thanks for the explainification regarding my infrastructure, Gob.

I always inhale your comments in a good lightly and accept your well intended meanderings.

[Gob]

Thanks Joe...

Been reading much Steve recently?

[loCAtek]

Joe, I'm glad your mother is safe.

My comment on crumbling infrastructure was related to this idea/thread.

...and no, 'Pacific, Gas and Electric Co.', which provides all these utilities to California, is a private company, and not federal. Of course, they're quite successful and profitable; so, why were these pipes so neglected? Reports say they were over sixty years old; orginally built under a rural area and had not been inspected regualrly.

The bad news?


These kind of pipes are all over under San Francisco.

[rubato]

Scary.

I've been reading some reports that people had called PG&E within the last week, saying that they smelled gas. If that turns out to be true, and nothing was done, PG&E could be in some very deep kim chee...

Good thing for the homeowners who were likely very under-insured for replacement costs. PG&E will be on the hook for the whole thing.


yrs,
rubato

[Jarlaxle]

You know...I think I'm just as happy I don't have gas pipes anywhere near my house...

[Gob]

...and no, 'Pacific, Gas and Electric Co.', which provides all these utilities to California, is a private company, and not federal. Of course, they're quite successful and profitable; so, why were these pipes so neglected? Reports say they were over sixty years old; orginally built under a rural area and had not been inspected regualrly.

The bad news?


These kind of pipes are all over under San Francisco.

So they are part of the city's infrastructure, just because they are private it doesn't preclude that Lo.

In 2009, there were 163 significant accidents involving natural gas pipelines, killing 10 people and injuring 59.

Transmission lines like the one that burst in San Bruno deliver natural gas from its source to distribution lines, which then carry it into neighborhoods before branching off into homes.

Over the past two decades, federal officials have tallied 2,840 significant gas pipeline accidents nationwide — including 992 in which someone was killed or hospitalized, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Those accidents killed 323 people and injured 1,372.

Experts say the nation's 296,000 miles of onshore natural gas lines routinely suffer breakdowns and failures.

More than 60 percent of the lines are at least 40 years old, according to a recent analysis by the Pipeline Safety Trust, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Bellingham, Wash.

Most of the older pipelines lack anti-corrosion coatings that are prevalent in the industry today, said Carl Weimer, executive director of the trust, which was set up after a 1999 explosion that killed three people in Bellingham.

http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/ca ... 09290.html

[loCAtek]

My point: these are viable industries- there's no reason for their failure.

It's like a landlocked BP Spill!

[dales]

PGE is evil....

Here's a letter to the SF Chronicle (one of many expressing the same concerns).

1:00 PM on September 11, 2010

From XXXX

one of the most callous things i've ever heard was at the start of this disaster when pg&e repeatedly said "if the problem is our equipment then we will be accountable". it's one thing to say that "the cause has yet to be determined and we're investigating" but pg&e was in cover-your-ass mode right out of the gate.

look long and hard, chris johns. a friend of mine who lives up the hill from the explosion called pg&e as far back as the beginning of august to report that she smelled gas at the intersection of sneath and skyline. i've encouraged her to dig through her phone records to pinpoint the exact date and time of the call and report it to the authorities.

pg&e has repeatedly betrayed the public trust by spending millions of our utility dollars on measures designed to oppress us, all at the expense of infrastructure.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z0zK5k5ZFL

Here's another one:

12:41 PM on September 11, 2010
From: xxxx
reading this article just infuriates me. PG&E needs to step up to the plate and handle this situation. no phone records within the last 9 days...are you dead serious? How can this corporation say there were no calls when everyone in that neighborhood is saying they called and smelled gas for weeks. Even the elderly lady who is missing was waiting for PG&E the family says. COVER UP is whats going to happen and i hope PG&E goes down. its RIDICULOUS. they walk around with their hands up like they have nothing to do with it when IT WAS A GAS PIPE LINE UNDERGROUND!!!! WHO ELSES FAULT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE PG&E? sorry cant get out of this one, step up like other organizations have and take care of these people and their families. ITS NOT RIGHT...i pray for all the lives lost and families suffering from this



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z0zK91HbDF

I believe thae fault lies squarely at the feet of PGE, an energy monolith that is more concerned with $$$$ than safety and serving the public.

[loCAtek]

Some raw news footage!!!


If anyone can get the word out to the victims, any one who's taken damage to their property; be careful of this insurance co. trick, this happened to my ex-grandmother-in-law when her town was hit by a tornado:

Of course, they don't want to pay out the whole sums to those who have lost their homes, so a representative will come around and hand the parties a check of about 10% the worth of the claim. This is supposedly an 'installment' on the rest of the claim. DO NOTHING with this check! The funds are good, the check will clear BUT if you do anything with it, even so much as deposit it, then that becomes your acceptance of the sole obligation the insurance co. has to pay on your claim.
If you do nothing but hold it, then they have to give you the full amount of your claim.

I don't know if all companies will try this, but I know some will.

[dales]

PGE stock has gone down 9%.

[Gob]

My point: these are viable industries- there's no reason for their failure.

Not replacing 60 yr old pipes due to corporate greed would be a recipe for disaster and failure.

[Gob]

1:00 PM on September 11, 2010
From XXXX

pg&e has repeatedly betrayed the public trust by spending millions of our utility dollars on measures designed to oppress us, all at the expense of infrastructure.

Steve?

[Joe Guy]

PG&E caused this disaster in order to get money from the government.

It's all right here in this book that Steve sent to me when he apologized for threatening to rape me...