Politics & Government

NTSB Hearing Documents: 70 Percent of Nation's Pipeline Installed Pre-1970

A PG&E employee initially told firefighters that it would take an hour to shut off Line 132 after it ruptured on Sept. 9 in the Crestmoor neighborhood.

As we continue to highlight the most interesting facts revealed in the by the NTSB this week as part of its ongoing investigation of the Sept. 9 fire, here's a look at two other documents that provide a wider scope for the explosion.

One document provided by the nonprofit Pipeline Safety Trust reveals a significant truth about the age of many natural gas transmission pipelines: that 70 percent of the country's pipelines were installed before 1970.

Another document provided was the firefighter incident report submitted following the explosion.

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One part of the report shows how it was possible for rumors to start spreading that the fire was caused by a plane crash. When Engine 51, the crew based out of the 's main station on El Camino Real, was heading up to the neighborhood, a fire captain from Engine 52, based on Earl Avenue, had upgraded the incident to a third alarm under the assumption that there had been a possible plane crash in the Crestmor neighborhood involving several homes.

The report also revealed how firefighters from South San Francisco came to the aid of San Bruno firefighters when a water main broke during their rescue efforts, causing firefighters to connect 2,000 feet of hoses from Sequoia Avenue and Fleetwood Drive to battle the flames.

Find out what's happening in Foster Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

More information was also disclosed about PG&E's communication with emergency personnel during the fire. According a division fire chief, a PG&E representative who was at the command post initially told first responders that it would take an hour to shut off the valves on the pipeline that ruptured. It took nearly 90 minutes for PG&E to manually shut off the line because the fire's intense heat prevented crews from getting close to the valves. Pipeline industry experts say most of the damage from a natural gas pipeline explosion happens within the first 30 seconds.  

The estimated damage from the fire reached $86 million, the report also stated.


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