A catastrophic gas explosion blew the roof off a South Los Angeles (location on Google Maps) welding shop early Friday, hurtling one victim to his death and electrocuting a second man on the street, fire officials said. They found another victim in critical condition under the axle of a vehicle after a downed power line energized the vehicle he was trying to move.

The probable cause
The gas line appears to have been “tampered” with, according to the Associated Press. Southern California Gas Company spokeswoman Denise King said the meter was shut off and someone hooked up an illegal line that sent natural gas into the building at dangerously high pressure.

The scene:
The explosion at about 6:15 a.m. turned the front of the wooden building into a mass of downed, shattered wooden beams. The building caught fire and 100 firefighters doused the blaze in about 25 minutes, fire spokesman Erik Scott said. Urban search and rescue was also brought in to find the victims, and there are claims that another person may be trapped.

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This incident is a good case study because it examines the rare causes of natural gas incidents which often cause large amounts of damage and injuries in short amounts of time. Firefighters and emergency responders often arrive at the scene well after the explosion has detonated, but it does not preclude the possibility of further explosions.

Things to consider:

1. What did the explosion involve?
   Is it a liquid or a gas? Could there be the possibility of a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE)? Is the gas or liquid hazardous to touch or inhalation?
2. What damages did it cause?
   Are there potential hazards in the immediate area that make entry/rescue/recovery difficult or dangerous?
3. Is the explosion contained?
   Is the gas or liquid line cut off? Did the gas company respond first, because of neighbors calling? Is there a mixture of class A/B/C/D fires that makes it difficult to tackle?
4. Is additional support needed?
   Do people need to be evacuated in the immediate vicinity (check your HazMat Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)? book for details, always) In this case USAR was employed to find the victims in the collapsed building. Is the police involved or should they be?

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