San Bruno continues to heal 15 years after deadly PG&E pipeline explosion

San Bruno marks 15 years since deadly PG&E pipeline explosion

The city of San Bruno is marking a painful part of its past. 15 years ago today, a ruptured PG&E natural gas pipeline sparked a deadly explosion and fire that destroyed an an entire neighborhood. Eight people were killed and 38 homes were destroyed. 70 others were damaged.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - The city of San Bruno is marking a painful part of its past. 15 years ago, a ruptured Pacific Gas and Electric pipeline sparked a deadly explosion and fire that destroyed an entire neighborhood.

Marking a painful memory

What we know:

While the community is taking time to reflect on that day – September 9, 2010 – they're also continuing to heal.

On Tuesday, flags were lowered to mark the annual remembrance of the worst public utility disaster in American history.

"I was stretching and looked up into the sky and the next thing I noticed and heard, was just the loudest, hugest explosion," said Rick Silverman, a San Bruno resident and witness who was reflecting on that day.

Scanner traffic was broadcasting numerous 911 calls of some type of explosion on Tehama Court or in that area.

The pipeline happened on that evening in the Crestmoor neighborhood in San Bruno.

Eight people were killed. 38 homes were destroyed, and 70 others were damaged.

"Running from the house for my life, we looked out the back, which was over here and I could see the big ball of flames.," recalled Carole Guernsey, who has lived in San Bruno since the late 1960s.

"I hollered at him, my husband, 'we've got to get out of here now,' so he grabbed the dog's leash, I grabbed my purse," said Carolyn Gray. "Going up the street we could see the panic on people's face of what was happening and unless youve lived through something like this you have no idea what it's like."

"The terrifying and the constant shock of it is…I had several dreams and still do dream about it every now and again," Silverman said.

PG&E was found liable and negligent

Under pressure from the courts, PG&E accepted financial liability for the accident and later admitted negligence in how it oversaw gas pipelines.

In an emailed statement, PG&E said:

September 9, 2010, is a day that no one at PG&E will ever forget. The San Bruno gas explosion was a terrible tragedy. We continue to mourn the eight lives that were lost, those who were injured and the damage that the community sustained. Over the last 15 years we have worked toward our stand to operate the safest and most reliable gas utility in the nation, and to prevent something like this from ever happening again. This includes completing each of the 12 safety recommendations given to PG&E by the National Transportation Safety Board following their investigation of the San Bruno pipeline explosion. Additionally, we have prioritized additional safety upgrades, modernizing gas infrastructure, transforming how we manage our assets and records, and improving our safety culture. We know that when it comes to safety, our work is never done. We remain committed to working each and every day to improve upon the safe and reliable delivery of energy to our customers and hometowns we are privileged to serve.

At Tuesday evening's public memorial ceremony, former Congresswoman Jackie Speier, now a San Mateo County Supervisor, reflected on the push for more accountability following the disaster. At the time of the explosion, Speier represented San Bruno in Congress and was instrumental in shaping pipeline safety reforms.

"We really changed federal law as it related to pipeline safety so I was really quite proud of the efforts that we undertook there," Speier said. "It was a great example of how government has a role, the National Transportation Safety Board came out they studied the pipe, they made recommendations."

"Because of that tragedy, the United States, the State of California, communities totally changed how these pipelines are installed and where they should be installed. And if they're installed, are they installed properly?" said David Canepa, San Mateo County's Board of Supervisors president.

Rebuilding and remembering

The homes have been rebuilt, and the neighborhood has a new feel. But what happened here is never far away. The family that owns an empty lot chooses not to rebuild. Instead, they're keeping it as a remembrance of what happened.

"There are emotional and physical scars that many still wear and unfortunately still have and that will never go away," said San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina.

The city has pushed forward since the blast, using part of the $70 million financial settlement with PG&E to build a new community and aquatics center. They've also installed a plaque to honor the victims in one of their parks.

"We've made a difference as far as fighting, protecting things with the PUC (Public Utilities Commission) and PG&E. And that to me is what this city can stand proud for," Mayor Medina said.

The city, once strained by the weight of loss, has now been made stronger through resilience and remembrance.

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