Explosion, fire near Hayward in community of Ashland leaves multiple people injured, buildings destroyed

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A gas explosion and fire at a home near Hayward and Interstate Highway 238 on Thursday morning injured multiple people and destroyed or damaged at least three structures, authorities said.

The incident happened on East Lewelling Boulevard just west of Mission Boulevard and south of Highway 238 in the unincorporated community of Ashland. The area has a mix of commercial and residential structures, including single-family homes.

The explosion scattered debris across a wide area, landing on adjacent rooftops. The structures destroyed appeared to be contained on the same lot of 867 E. Lewelling Boulevard, which was listed on Redfin as a four-bedroom, 3,957 square-foot home.

Pacific Gas and Electric said at 7:35 a.m., it was notified that a third-party construction crew had damaged an underground gas line while digging on Lewelling Boulevard, and it dispatched crews to the scene. According to PG&E, its workers isolated the damaged line and stopped the flow of gas by 9:25 a.m., but gas had been released at multiple locations, and at 9:35 a.m., the explosion happened.

Security camera video from a neighbor across the street showed construction vehicles in front of the address as a large explosion destroyed much of the main structure. The neighbor told CBS News Bay Area her entire house shook in the blast.

“It looked like a bomb dropped. It just went,” said Brittany Maldonado. “We thought a truck hit the house or something, but no, the neighbor’s house exploded.”

A spokesperson for Alameda County said Redgwick Construction of Oakland is currently working on a project to improve E. Lewelling Boulevard in the area, and the firm lists the project on its website. Documents from the county indicate the work involves new sidewalks, bikeways, and pavement improvements. 

A Redgwick spokesperson told CBS News Bay Area on Friday that one of its subcontractors inadvertently struck the gas line and that Redgwick crews were working about two blocks away. The spokesperson added that the incident should have never happened and that the company is cooperating with authorities.

Alameda County Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Nishimoto said at least three buildings on two properties were “significantly damaged,” and a third property adjacent to the other properties had minor to major damage on the side where the explosion occurred.

“Two of the three buildings look like residential structures, the one in the back of one of the properties looks like a workshop with maybe a living quarters on top,” Nishimoto said. 

Six patients were taken to nearby hospitals, Nishimoto said. CBS News  Bay Area has learned that at least three patients were being treated at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley with injuries described as serious. 

The Fire Department said all residents and persons at the scene were accounted for. The California Highway Patrol said southbound Highway 238 to East 14th Street and Lewelling Boulevard from Mission to Paradise boulevards were shut down during the firefight and investigation.

One neighbor said she saw two of her friends being taken away in an ambulance.

“I was panicking at work,” Casandra Bernal said. “I was literally shaking because I know them. It hit me more because I know them. We used to go to family parties with them. So unexpected.”

Bernal says a mother lives there with her two children and two brothers.

“We are close to them, and we know they are at the hospital,” Bernal said. “That’s all I know, and that they were home.”

Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Roberto Morales said deputies were dispatched to evacuate other residents in the area following the explosion. It was unclear how many residents were evacuated.

Many neighbors in the area questioned why there wasn’t an evacuation in the two hours before the explosion when PG&E knew gas was leaking.

Maldonado said she was never notified of a gas leak, and the only reason she knew anything was going on was because she saw a PG&E crew member checking her gas meter at around 8:30 in the morning.

“And he said that they were turning off the gas because of something with the road crew,” said Maldonado. “So we were, like, okay. So we were even more confused because we were, like, ‘But the gas was off, how did the explosion happen?'”

PG&E said it does not execute evacuations and leaves that process up to first responders.

The Alameda County Fire Department said it did not evacuate the neighborhood because when crews came on the scene, PG&E told them they did not need the department’s assistance.

“PG&E will be conducting an extensive investigation around a potential cause and will support other investigations that may take place,” said spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian.  

Cal/OSHA said it was investigating the explosion and would focus on whether workplace safety regulations were followed. The National Transportation Safety Board also said it would send a team to Hayward to investigate the explosion and the circumstances that led to it.