San Francisco: Fire and Explosion downtown San Francisco

Friday, June 5, 2009

San Francisco: Fire and Explosion downtown San Francisco

Tender loin Incident - Electrical Fire and Explosion - downtown San Francisco Tenderloin District Fire updates: Van Ness is open to traffic, exclusion area is bounded by Van Ness -Geary-Larkin-Ellis-Van Ness.

Image from SKY7-HD of flames and black smoke at the scene of ... on Twitpic

Explosion and Fire on Polk St, smoke and fire coming out of manhole covers.
Apparently fire is extending to the traffic cones?
Photo Credit: abc7newsBayArea - http://twitpic.com/6ox6g

Update: 1727hrs - Shelter in place lifted. Exclusion zone still in effect per Incident Command.
Update: 1713hrs - SF_Emergency - Shelter in place remains in effect - Media reports that it has been lifted are incorrect. PD will let people leave exclusion zone, not enter Exclusion Zone: Van Ness is open to traffic, exclusion area is bounded by Van Ness -Geary-Larkin-Ellis-Van Ness.
Update: 1345hrs - The initial fire at the IA manhole has died down considerably but is still burning.
Update: 1330hrs - There is concern that the fire may be spreading underground, fire crews are being dispersed around the city to monitor. FD command post notified that another smoking manhole at Grove and Van Ness.
Update: 1315hrs - Firefighters used carbon dioxide to suppress the flames, but PG&E requested they stop using it in order to allow the equipment to fail completely, fire Lt. Mindy Talmadge said. When firefighters stopped using the carbon dioxide, a black cloud of smoke seven stories high rose from the manhole.
At one point around 1:15 p.m., flames 10 feet high shot from the manhole.
Update: 1135hrs - FD confirms smoke showing from underground vault.
smoke coming out of manholes. At least 1 building on O'Farrell is being evacuated
About 4,500 Pacific Gas and Electric customers lost power resulting in many people stuck in high-rise elevators.

Shelter in place: Please shelter in place within 2 blocks of O'Farrell/Polk. Please shelter in place because of toxic smoke caused by an underground explosion and fire.
MUNI delays: Expect delays on 38 & 19

Location: O'Farrel/Polk Streets, Civic Center, San Francisco
Communications: PGE on 153.650
SF FD just moved to command A5
KCBS-AM on 450.0875
Live video: KGO-TV streaming - Link

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Friday, June 5, 2009