PG&E Contains Gas Leak That Caused San Francisco Explosion

  • No injuries reported as nearby buildings were evacuated
  • Crew installing cable may have struck gas line: fire chief
A gas main fire burns out of control in San Francisco on Feb. 6, 2019.Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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PG&E Corp. has contained a natural gas leak from a pipe that exploded on Wednesday along a major thoroughfare in San Francisco, engulfing in flames a stretch known for its bars and restaurants.

The blaze, which had spread to at least five buildings as of Wednesday afternoon, triggered an evacuation order for people within a block of the site on Geary Boulevard -- a major artery that leads into downtown San Francisco. Eight workers near the explosion were accounted for and no injuries were reported, San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White told reporters.