By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Senior Editor
SAN BRUNO, Calif. — One of the first firefighters at the scene of a massive explosion that ripped through a neighborhood near San Francisco on Thursday said he initially thought a plane had crashed.
San Bruno Fire Department Capt. Charlie Barringer said the initial blast was felt immediately at Station 52, which is near to the center of the incident scene.
“I thought a 747 had landed on us,” he told The LA Times. “It shook our station right to its foundation. Capt. Barringer told reporters he sounded a four-alarm fire within a minute.
At the scene, Engine 52 discovered the explosion had left a scene of destruction, including the grid of water mains that supply nearby hydrants.
Capt. Barringer said they were overwhelmed by the resulting fireball from the blast. “We had multiple neighborhoods on fire,” he said.
The LA Times reported the crew strung together hoses to pump water from two to three miles away.
Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the night and into Friday morning. The blast killed at least four people and injured more than 50.
During a news conference Friday morning, San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag outlined the scene encountered by firefighters first on the scene.
“It was very difficult to approach, it was that hot, the flame length was probably 70 to 80 feet,” he said.
Praising the efforts of firefighters from across the area, Chief Haag said he was “especially proud” of the California mutual aid system and the San Mateo County automatic aid system.
“We made a terrific effort in stopping the fire to where we did.
“Obviously we always want to do better but it was a great joint effort … all the agencies came together in spectacular fashion and as devastating as this was, it could have been much worse in my opinion,” he said.
Four firefighters suffered smoke inhalation shortly after arriving on the scene and were taken to the hospital for treatment, Chief Haag said. They were released about two hours later.
Smoke continued to rise from blocks of smoldering wreckage Friday morning as rescue crews with dogs searched for more casualties.
The aftermath of the fire and explosion was “pretty devastating,” according to Chief Haag.
“It looks like a moonscape in some areas, but again I want to emphasize the crews did a fantastic stop.”