A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE EXPLOSION NEAR FRESNO INJURED AT LEAST 11 PEOPLE, 3 CRITICAL, WHEN EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT BROKE THE 12-INCH PG&E PIPELINE.

APRIL 17, 2015

FRESNO, CALIFORNIA (KCRA)

A 12-inch gas pipeline explosion near Fresno injured at least 11 people and shut down a section of Highway 99 for several hours Friday afternoon.

 Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said three of the people injured are in critical condition and one is in serious condition. They are at a burn and trauma center in Fresno.

Officials initially said 15 people had been injured.

Traffic going north and south on Highway 99 was halted by the explosion at about 2:30 p.m.

All lanes were back open as of 5:15 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

The explosion happened at the Fresno County Sheriff's gun range, where a work crew including county jail inmates using heavy equipment apparently hit a pipe carrying natural gas, said Tony Botti, a spokesman for the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. One of the workers appeared to be in critical condition, he said.

A nearby rail line was also halted out of concern that a passing train could spark leaking gas.
Witnesses reported seeing a large fireball, said Pete Martinez of the Fresno Fire Department. The flames prompted a two-alarm call of firefighters.

"As I got closer, the flames were just bigger and bigger," said Kevin Ling, who was driving by shortly after the blast. "It was shooting up to 200 feet or more, and a fireball maybe 10 to 15 feet in diameter. It was like out of a movie."

"My window was up and my AC was on and it still felt like a furnace inside my car," he added. 

PG&E crews turned off the gas line and fire crews were able to quickly put out the flames. 

A PG&E crew is at the scene investigating the incident, according to a news release. 

Some people living in the area had to be evacuated from their homes. 

"It was almost like a bomb explosion. Afterwards, it sounded like jets, but it was just the gas shooting out," said resident Isidro Estrada. 

Doing excavation work on the cheap, by using inmates.  Nice one, Fresno sheriff!  From killing unarmed men, to beating unarmed men, and now to using inmates to do construction work next to a gas pipeline, these sheriff’s departments are out of control.  They think they are above the law and above all safety precautions.  We also know they always claim they are injured and double dip by taking a second job.