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SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Police are looking for a woman who drove her car into a gas line at a Santa Clara strip mall Wednesday that set off powerful explosions, sparking a fire that burned for hours and destroyed five businesses, according to authorities.
Officers are looking for a Latina female who drove an early 1990s white two-door Honda Accord that struck a gas line at a strip mall at Poinciana Drive and White Oak Lane, police said.
Around 3:50 p.m., fire crews responded to reports of explosions at the strip mall, fire Battalion Chief David Rose said.
Crews arrived to find a heavy fire at a laundromat that spread to four other businesses, he said.
One strip mall customer told KTVU then saw the woman speeding away.
"Just a pretty big loud boom and at that point I had no idea what had happened. I didn't realize that car had hit the gas line," said Jessica McLaughlin, who was driving up to the 7-Eleven store directly across from the gas meter.
The fire caught a customer inside the laundromat by surprise. He said he ran out to his car.
"I thank god I'm alive, because you see what happened with the laundry," said Carlos Ramirez.
The laundromat was the first to burn, followed by four other businesses. All were destroyed, including a restaurant owned by Debbie Hidalgo's father.
"I think he's in shock. He's sad," said Hidalgo as she patted her father Mario Hidalgo on the back.
He was inside the restaurant when the fire broke out. All that's left was a cash register salvaged by a worker.
"It's devastating. It's sad. In half an hour, everything's destroyed. Very fast," said Hidalgo.
Witnesses told KTVU they heard three explosions. Fire officials said two people suffered minor injuries: a firefighter and a person inside the laundromat.
It wasn't until around 8:40 p.m. that PG&E located the line that workers needed to pinch and shut off to put out the remaining flames.
"We don't want to douse it with water, because then we'd have a gas leak and then we'd be looking for a new ignition source and it could be a much larger plume and a bigger explosion," said Rose.
Businesses were lost, but hope is eternal.
"It's been 15 long years of hard work, but he's planning to rebuild," said Hidalgo about her father's restaurant.
The other businesses destroyed were a lounge, liguor store and a hair salon. Police told KTVU they are looking at surveillance video from this area to track down the woman who may be responsible.
Anyone with information on the driver or vehicle is asked to call Santa Clara police (408) 615-5580.