More than a dozen people were injured, including three who are in critical condition, when a county road worker ruptured a gas line on the Fresno County side of the San Joaquin River and Highway 99.
Fresno County Emergency Medical Services officials confirm 14 or 15 people have burn injuries.
Three patients are in Community Regional Medical Center in critical condition and a fourth is in serious condition, said hospital spokeswoman Mary Lisa Russell.
Eleven were being transported to local hospitals, and another four were evaluated but did not need hospitalization, said Dan Lynch, emergency medical services director.
Edna Epps was on her way to pick up her grandson, Trevor Jobinger, from school when she got caught in traffic.
She said she got a call from 11-year-old Trevor, who was supposed to have a baseball game tonight. The game at River Bluff Elementary was canceled after the fire started, she said. Trevor told her he was practicing outside when “all of a sudden there was fire falling down around him.”
A county road worker driving a tractor or backhoe at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office gun range at 7663 N. Weber Ave. set off the explosion, said sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti.
He did not identify the worker, and said the person had significant injuries and was flown by helicopter to a local hospital.
“Nothing was being dug at the time, that’s what makes this a head scratcher,” Botti said.
He said the worker was driving on a roadway at the gun range when the explosion occurred.
Botti told reporters in an impromptu press conference at Weber and Herndon avenues that some jail inmates were at the gun range on a normal work detail when the explosion occurred. Some of them were injured, he said.
No law enforcement personnel were hurt, Botti added.
The injured have been transported to Community Regional and Saint Agnes Medical Center.
Saint spokewoman Kelley Sanchez said the hospital is treating four patients with minor injuries who are expected to be treated and released.
Fresno fire chief Kerri Donis says it’s unclear who was the third party who was using the back hoe. She said PG&E was able to turn down the gas flow, but a small amount is still flowing.
Media are being kept far from the scene for safety reasons. Traffic on Herndon Avenue east of 99 was initially closed but has reopened. Drivers should avoid Golden State and Highway 99.
Southbound Highway 99 traffic was initially diverted off Avenue 7, but has reopened. Northbound traffic was stopped at Shaw Avenue.
Trains along the Union Pacific Railroad line also are stopped.
The fire was first reported at 2:28 p.m.
The explosion was believed to be a Pacific Gas & Electric gas line, said Lt. John Zanoni with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Flames were said to be shooting 100 feet into the air.
Cherie Frea, a Bee staffer who was heading home with her sons, said the flames appeared to be towering over eucalytus trees near the freeway. Her vehicle was directed to exit at Herndon prior to the freeway shut-down at Shaw.
After exiting the freeway, Frea said, ash from the fire bathed her vehicle, “so thick that it stuck to the Yukon all the way back to our house.”
The CHP reported at 3:08 p.m. that the fire is out and there was no damage to Highway 99 or bridge trestles in the area.
Traffic on Herndon is being redirected south on Golden State Boulevard. Smoke can still be seen north of Herndon.
Central West ninth grader Tyson Brous was watching the smoke from outside a Taco Bell on Herndon and Golden State. He said he saw the fire while riding the school bus home Friday afternoon.
“It was like three stories high,” he said. He added that he’d never seen “that big of a flame in person.”
This story will be updated.