Explosion Rocks Homes of Fresno Residents

People living in the Northwest Fresno neighborhood near Herndon and Highway 99 say at 2:30 this afternoon they heard a loud bang, some say it even shook their homes. When they went outside, fire and smoke filled the sky.

"it was crazy. Just crazy. It was a ball of fire. At least 100 foot high," said Willie Silva, who lives right across a field where the explosion happened.

When a gas line exploded Friday afternoon in Fresno all eyes zeroed in on the fire and smoke that filled the air.

"I heard the big old boom and then just like a vibration," said Marie Venegas who also lives nearby.

"I hear an explosion and then a couple seconds later it sounded like a jet… It was like wooooosh," said Silva.

The explosion near Highway 99 and Herndon was so close to the home of Marie Venegas she captured billowing fire and smoke on her cell phone while standing in her yard.

"It was scary, crazy, I was so scared that I was getting chills because it was something I had never seen," said Venegas.

Quickly, she used the same phone to call for help.

"I dialed 911 and they said there was already help on the way," said Venegas.

As fire crews arrived to douse the flames that burned all the way down to the edge of Highway 99. Neighbors say the explosion was so big something was falling from the sky.

"I didn’t know what it was at first, so I was taking cover until later I found out it was sand, but still," said Silva.

"There was sand I even still have sand in my hair. We were like what the heck is it? And I looked at my shirt and it was sand," said Venegas.

Then, word came this neighborhood was in real danger.

"It was especially scary when the sheriff’s came and told us we had to evacuate because all of the gas lines ran under our houses," said Venegas.

With officers blocking off streets in the area residents returned to their homes. With how dry the conditions are they’re thankful the disaster didn’t spread to their front doors.

"I thought it was going to come this way toward the houses so I was kind of nervous," said Silva.

The people living nearby where the explosion happened say they were impressed by how fast fire crews got to the scene and they’re thankful the wind didn’t help the fire spread toward their homes. It’s something they say they’ll never forget.