A powerful gas explosion tore through a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood Thursday morning, leveling at least one home, injuring six people and sparking a large fire that engulfed several structures. The explosion, which unfolded in the unincorporated community of Ashland near Hayward, sent debris into the sky and shook homes throughout the neighborhood, leaving residents and emergency crews struggling to deal with the aftermath.
What triggered the devastating gas explosion in Ashland?
Authorities say the incident occurred shortly after a construction crew inadvertently ruptured an underground gas line along Lewelling Boulevard, where work was underway to widen sidewalks and install bike lanes.
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Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) confirmed it was notified around 7:35 a.m. that a non-utility construction crew had damaged the pipe. Although PG&E workers arrived to isolate the line, gas continued to leak from several locations.
The company finally shut off the gas flow at 9:25 a.m., but the explosion occurred approximately ten minutes later.
Gas was “leaking from various locations,” PG&E said, adding that the shutdown was delayed because workers needed time “to isolate the line and stop the flow of gas.”
How extensive was the gas explosion damage in the San Francisco Bay Area and who was injured?
Firefighters said six people were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Alameda County Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Nishimoto said he did not yet know if the injuries were workers or residents, adding that three were immediately transported and three others had minor injuries.
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Three structures on two lots sustained severe damage, while at least one other structure sustained “minor to major damage.”
Around 75 workers were involved in fighting the fire, some of whom were forced to retreat temporarily after suffering electric shocks from downed power lines.
What did the residents of the San Francisco Bay Area experience at the time of the explosion?
Doorbell camera footage, now widely shared online, vividly captured the moment a seemingly quiet street turned into a scene of destruction.
Resident Brittany Maldonado described the terrifying impact from inside her home:
“We were sitting in the house and it just… everything shook. Things were falling off the walls and when we looked at the camera it was like watching a war video.”
Maldonado, who lives directly across the street, recalled the feeling of a violent jolt:
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“The boxes were overturned and everything was shaking. We thought someone had just gone off the highway and their car was in our living room,” she said. “It was like someone had just set off a bomb.
Moments later, she and her husband were watching footage from their Nest doorbell and witnessed a neighbor’s house explode in real time.
What does San Francisco Bay Area gas explosion video reveal?
The video shows an excavator positioned in front of the residence shortly before the explosion. A worker stands nearby as the machine digs into the ground. Within seconds, the house is engulfed in an eruption that sends out flames and debris as its walls and roof crumble.
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Nearby workers, briefly stunned, then run towards the wreckage to search for victims. Several individuals are seen picking up a large fragment of debris that collapsed near the excavator.
Sirens wail in the distance as police and firefighters rush to the scene, with flames quickly spreading through the destroyed structure.
How are San Francisco Bay Area authorities responding?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it was sending a team to investigate the circumstances of the explosion, including the initial impact on the pipeline and the subsequent behavior of the gas.
Local firefighters, supported by several engines and trucks, extinguished the three-alarm fire, although the full extent of the structural damage is still being assessed. The affected neighborhood — made up of mostly single-story homes near two major highways — remains partially closed.
