Explosion about 1/2 mi from my house yesterday (1 Viewer)

[Hot Sauce Guy]

This happened very close to my house yesterday.

So close that the exit I normally take to get home was blocked off by a bunch of police and fire vehicles.

Caught on someone’s ring camera. Apparently work crew didn’t call 811 before they dug, and badly damaged a gas line. The result blew a house to smithereens, and badly damaged the neighboring homes.

6 injured. Yikes.

 

[Lehigh98]

Damn, how does any kind of professional in that field forget about the gas lines?
Hope the 6 that went to the hospital are all ok.

 

[beer 30]

This happened very close to my house yesterday.

So close that the exit I normally take to get home was blocked off by a bunch of police and fire vehicles.

Caught on someone’s ring camera. Apparently work crew didn’t call 811 before they dug, and badly damaged a gas line. The result blew a house to smithereens, and badly damaged the neighboring homes.

6 injured. Yikes.

I saw that in the headlines, scary stuff.

If you're the homeowner, damn. Right before Christmas and you basically lose everything and will be fighting with insurance for the next couple of years.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

This happened very close to my house yesterday.

So close that the exit I normally take to get home was blocked off by a bunch of police and fire vehicles.

Caught on someone’s ring camera. Apparently work crew didn’t call 811 before they dug, and badly damaged a gas line. The result blew a house to smithereens, and badly damaged the neighboring homes.

6 injured. Yikes.

I saw that in the headlines, scary stuff.

If you're the homeowner, damn. Right before Christmas and you basically lose everything and will be fighting with insurance for the next couple of years.

Yep - and likely the construction company’s ins since they’re the ones who dug negligently. That can be a mess because who knows what sort of ins they have, or if they’ll just go bankrupt to & dissolve try to avoid the liability.

The irony of course is it looks like they’re remodeling that house.

Of course if that was a company that the city subcontracted for a sidewalk / road project (a lot of that in Hayward these days) then that’ll be easier to deal with.

Horrific experience for the homeowner regardless, but hoping they’re taken care of.

 

[ChiefD]

Holy ****!

 

[Scoresman]

At first I thought meth lab, then I saw Bay Area and immediately assumed PG&E screwup, but it looks like it was a work crew. Unless it was a PG&E work crew...

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Very suspicious. You sold some poor, unsuspecting neighbor the Hell Hound, didn't you?

 

[Ilov80s]

This happened very close to my house yesterday.

So close that the exit I normally take to get home was blocked off by a bunch of police and fire vehicles.

Caught on someone’s ring camera. Apparently work crew didn’t call 811 before they dug, and badly damaged a gas line. The result blew a house to smithereens, and badly damaged the neighboring homes.

6 injured. Yikes.

Damn, looks like an explosion from a Michael Bay movie. Hopefully the injuries aren't too serious. God can you even f'n imagine if some work crew blew your house up?

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

At first I thought meth lab, then I saw Bay Area and immediately assumed PG&E screwup, but it looks like it was a work crew. Unless it was a PG&E work crew...

Likely a subcontracted sidewalk project crew.

Solid guesses though.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

MSN

A spokesperson for Alameda County said Redgwick Construction of Oakland is currently working on a project to improve E. Lewelling Boulevard in the area, and the firm lists the project on its website. Documents from the county indicate the work involves new sidewalks, bikeways, and pavement improvements.

A Redgwick spokesperson told CBS News Bay Area on Friday that one of its subcontractors inadvertently struck the gas line and that Redgwick crews were working about two blocks away. The spokesperson added that the incident should have never happened and that the company is cooperating with authorities.

these are the dummies you are looking for

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Some of them are over here; some over there.

Idiots.

 

[Skipdog77]

First off, I hope all of the injured make a full and quick recovery.

Second, the first couple seconds of the linked video reminds me of :confetti:

 

[ChiefD]

At first I thought meth lab, then I saw Bay Area and immediately assumed PG&E screwup, but it looks like it was a work crew. Unless it was a PG&E work crew...

About 20 years ago I was working as a contractor. We were working on a rehab house - we had bought it and were rehabbing it for sale. The house next door was dubious - we knew something was going down there but we were in a decent part of town. On this particular day we were hanging siding and doing windows on the side of our house that was adjacent to his.

Got a call at 5 am from my boss saying - get to the jobsite. The house next door is GONE.

Hustled over there, and the house next literally was a pile of rubble. Come to find out the guy was dealing meth out of there. He had gone to the basement sometime during the night and decided to take a chain saw to some gas cans down there. Blew the entire house up and knocked that wall I was working on our house about 4” inward.

If that lunatic had done that the afternoon before I would be a dead man.

The horrible part of the story is his 6 year old son was in the house. Somehow they both lived. That poor kid.

**** that mother…****er. I will hate that guy the rest of my life and I hate very few people.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Very suspicious. You sold some poor, unsuspecting neighbor the Hell Hound, didn't you?

Hell Hound is ~20% hotter than the last batch. So… maybe?

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

MSN

A spokesperson for Alameda County said Redgwick Construction of Oakland is currently working on a project to improve E. Lewelling Boulevard in the area, and the firm lists the project on its website. Documents from the county indicate the work involves new sidewalks, bikeways, and pavement improvements.

A Redgwick spokesperson told CBS News Bay Area on Friday that one of its subcontractors inadvertently struck the gas line and that Redgwick crews were working about two blocks away. The spokesperson added that the incident should have never happened and that the company is cooperating with authorities.

these are the dummies you are looking for

Yep - that was my 1st guess. There’s a city-wide sidewalk improvement project going on. Downtown looks sooooo much better with sidewalks, trees, and safer crosswalks.

Probably just one dummy digging without checking a plan 1st. Sad to see - it’s gonna be a mess for sure.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Second, the first couple seconds of the linked video reminds me of :confetti:

All my life I’ve heard the expression “blown to smithereens”. Now I finally understand exactly what the definition of that is, because holeeshiz that thing went *poof*. Just yeeted and deleted. If there was red or blue it coulda been a super elaborate baby reveal.

Miracle no one died.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I was in subsurface construction for 30 years. Here's my take on this kind of incident.......

Unless there's some kind of exemption (classified site, for instance - which shouldn't be the case here), it is incumbent on the digging contract contractor to have an 811 ticket in place and submitted to whoever they are contracted with before construction begins. The owner/CM should also have their own and also have a site utility plan for common use. These 811/One Call tickets have expiration dates, so on long-duration projects you'd have to renew/resubmit several times.

With that said, you can still have incidents like HSG's happen even if all preconstruction requirements were met. The subcontractor could mess up and dig in a marked area, or the 811 guy screws up and mis-marks. I've hit utilities in "cleared" areas several times over the years.

If there were no One Call in place, at least two entities (the sub & the owner/CM) should be on the hook. If there was a ticket submitted, then it could become a finger-pointing contest for liability.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

I've hit utilities in "cleared" areas several times over the years.

Same
There is no call right now to blame the “dummy in the backhoe”

 

[SWC]

it always surprises me that gas lines are set relatively shallow like maybe a foot and a half to three foot deep you would think those suckers would be deeper take that to the bank brohans

 

[Pip's Invitation]

At first I thought meth lab, then I saw Bay Area and immediately assumed PG&E screwup, but it looks like it was a work crew. Unless it was a PG&E work crew...

About 20 years ago I was working as a contractor. We were working on a rehab house - we had bought it and were rehabbing it for sale. The house next door was dubious - we knew something was going down there but we were in a decent part of town. On this particular day we were hanging siding and doing windows on the side of our house that was adjacent to his.

Got a call at 5 am from my boss saying - get to the jobsite. The house next door is GONE.

Hustled over there, and the house next literally was a pile of rubble. Come to find out the guy was dealing meth out of there. He had gone to the basement sometime during the night and decided to take a chain saw to some gas cans down there. Blew the entire house up and knocked that wall I was working on our house about 4” inward.

If that lunatic had done that the afternoon before I would be a dead man.

The horrible part of the story is his 6 year old son was in the house. Somehow they both lived. That poor kid.

**** that mother…****er. I will hate that guy the rest of my life and I hate very few people.

Ugh.

In the ‘90s I lived on a road that is rural by NJ standards and one day there was a huge fire at a house down the street.

Turns out the guy was making meth in his basement and blew something up. He did not survive because he went up to the attic to try to save his marijuana plants.

 

[belljr]

This happened very close to my house yesterday.

So close that the exit I normally take to get home was blocked off by a bunch of police and fire vehicles.

Caught on someone’s ring camera. Apparently work crew didn’t call 811 before they dug, and badly damaged a gas line. The result blew a house to smithereens, and badly damaged the neighboring homes.

6 injured. Yikes.

When I worked for water department we accidentally hit a gas line replacing pipe.

Call gas company they come on over an dude is smoking a cigarette repairing the leak like nothing.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

This happened very close to my house yesterday.

So close that the exit I normally take to get home was blocked off by a bunch of police and fire vehicles.

Caught on someone’s ring camera. Apparently work crew didn’t call 811 before they dug, and badly damaged a gas line. The result blew a house to smithereens, and badly damaged the neighboring homes.

6 injured. Yikes.

When I worked for water department we accidentally hit a gas line replacing pipe.

Call gas company they come on over a dude is smoking a cigarette repairing the leak like nothing.

That’s wild. Lmao

 

[QuizGuy66]

Glad you weren't right there when it happened GB!
-QG

 

[fatness]

Witnesses describe seeing victims walk out of home after Hayward explosion: 'Blood all over'

"They looked in shock and easily that the explosion took out their eardrum - I assume - because people were trying to talk to them and they were not really hearing it," said Oscar Vazquez, a Hayward resident.

abc7news.com

More pics and interviews.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Witnesses describe seeing victims walk out of home after Hayward explosion: 'Blood all over'

"They looked in shock and easily that the explosion took out their eardrum - I assume - because people were trying to talk to them and they were not really hearing it," said Oscar Vazquez, a Hayward resident.

abc7news.com

More pics and interviews.

East coast fam has been calling me, so clearly this is a national story.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Witnesses describe seeing victims walk out of home after Hayward explosion: 'Blood all over'

"They looked in shock and easily that the explosion took out their eardrum - I assume - because people were trying to talk to them and they were not really hearing it," said Oscar Vazquez, a Hayward resident.

abc7news.com

More pics and interviews.

East coast fam has been calling me, so clearly this is a national story.

You gotta get on the tube in one of those awesome Lucky Dog shirts.
-QG

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Witnesses describe seeing victims walk out of home after Hayward explosion: 'Blood all over'

"They looked in shock and easily that the explosion took out their eardrum - I assume - because people were trying to talk to them and they were not really hearing it," said Oscar Vazquez, a Hayward resident.

abc7news.com

More pics and interviews.

East coast fam has been calling me, so clearly this is a national story.

You gotta get on the tube in one of those awesome Lucky Dog shirts.
-QG

lol just casually walk in front of the cameras.

 

[Caveman33]

PGE says it was notified at 7:35 a.m. on Thursday that a third-party, non-PGE construction crew, which was working on an Alameda County's road improvement project, damaged an underground natural gas line while digging. PG&E crews were immediately sent to fix it.

In its statement, PG&E said, "Crews worked to address more than one location of damage and subsequently two releases of gas. One release of natural gas was stopped at 8:18 a.m. And the second release was stopped at 9:25 a.m."

The explosion happened 10 minutes later.

In a statement to ABC7 News, Travis Miller, Vice President Redgwick Construction, the company working on this road work project, says that one of its subcontractors inadvertently struck a gas line. And that, "We immediately stopped work in the area and notified PG&E. PG&E instructed us to clear the area, which we did, and they took control of the situation."

-----

How will the fault be distributed in the ensuing lawsuits? Redgwick Construction is trying to blame PG&E since they had control of the site for at least an hour before the explosion.