State of emergency as fireball explodes over San Fran

A ruptured gas line led to an explosion that has destroyed at least 53 homes and killed three people.

Just after 6 pm on Thursday evening a natural gas line near the San Francisco airport burst and immediately caught fire, sending a huge orange fireball over the densely populated San Bruno district of the city. Firefighters are still battling the blaze this morning. Officials said that three people have been killed, although that number is expected to rise. Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado declared a state of emergency for the county. The radiant heat in the area is so intense firefighters can’t reach many burning homes, and one man who evacuated the area said the bumper of his car melted as he made his escape. The explosion disrupted water lines, forcing fire crews to truck in water neighbouring districts.