Friday , March 29 2024

13 Injured by Gas Explosion in Northwest Fresno

The Fresno County Sheriff says 13 people were injured during a gas explosion in at their gun range in Northwest Fresno.

Flames shot 100 feet in the air Friday afternoon and could be seen for miles away. Emergency personnel rushed to the scene closing down Highway 99, as well as the surrounding area on Herndon Avenue to traffic.

"I came outside my gate and I saw a big ball of fire. It sounded like jets but it was obviously the fire," Marie Venegas, who lives nearby said.

The Fresno County Sheriff says a county sub contractor was building up dirt on a berm with a tractor at the time of the explosion. The operator was blown off the tractor by the force of the explosion and was severely injured.

"There was a large crater where the explosion occurred. The front loader (tractor) is completely blackened and irreparable," Sheriff Margaret Mims said.

Ten jail inmates were doing clean up at the range when the explosion happened. They were taken to area hospitals with burns. One of them was air lifted with critical injuries.

A total of four people are in critical condition, two patients are being transferred from Madera Community Hospital to CRMC in serious condition.

Two deputies jumped into action and helped the burn victims, moving everyone North towards the San Joaquin River for their safety.

"I want to commend the deputy sheriffs on scene the way it was described to me when this explosion happened is it sounded like a jet engine took off," Mims said.

Those deputies had minor I sun burn like burns and ringing in their ears.

The Sheriff could not say how the gas line exploded, but Pacific Gas and Electric says the tractor hit the buried gas line.

"We see that fairly regularly where a contractor will hit where contractors will hit lines for one reason or another. We are still investigating. It was hit by a piece of machinery," Denny Boyles with PG&E said.

The gas line has been shut off. The rail line has been damaged by the explosion.

PG&E says they will be venting air from gas lines in the area of Herndon and Highway 99 tonight. Residents may smell gas or hear loud hissing noises.

The utility company reminds contracts that they must provide notification of their intent to dig by calling 811 at least two working days in advance.

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