Photograph by Jeff Chiu, AP
A firefighting plane dumps retardant onto the San Bruno fire, which engulfed several northern California blocks on September 9.
Though the gas flow was stopped and the fire mostly contained by late Thursday, extinguishing street gas-line fires is notoriously tough, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Until the source of the gas is found, the pressure of the fuel and volatility of the escaping gas creates flames too forceful for firefighters to tackle.
(Read a National Geographic article on increasing fires in the U.S. West.)
Published September 10, 2010
