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Fireball in Balboa Boulevard following the 1994 Northridge earthquake
Fireball in Balboa Boulevard, Granada Hills, following the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake. The earthquake caused a slight lateral spread (a shallow, low-angle landslide), which ruptured pipes buried below the road paving. One of those pipes was a 3-ft diameter water main; water gushing from the main eroded the large pit shown in this view (and flooded homes and businesses downhill, to the right). Another of the ruptured pipes was a natural gas line. As someone tried to start the engine of his vehicle, an ignition spark also ignited gas that had leaked from the broken pipe. The ensuing fire burned five homes, two behind the fireball in this view and three on the other side of the street. I took this picture about 5 hours after the earthquake.
Notice small flames in the eroded pit (to the left), on broken paving (to the right of fireball), and on burnt and broken telephone pole (immediately left of break, at height of tree tops).
Fireball in Balboa Boulevard following the 1994 Northridge earthquake
Fireball in Balboa Boulevard, Granada Hills, following the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake. The earthquake caused a slight lateral spread (a shallow, low-angle landslide), which ruptured pipes buried below the road paving. One of those pipes was a 3-ft diameter water main; water gushing from the main eroded the large pit shown in this view (and flooded homes and businesses downhill, to the right). Another of the ruptured pipes was a natural gas line. As someone tried to start the engine of his vehicle, an ignition spark also ignited gas that had leaked from the broken pipe. The ensuing fire burned five homes, two behind the fireball in this view and three on the other side of the street. I took this picture about 5 hours after the earthquake.
Notice small flames in the eroded pit (to the left), on broken paving (to the right of fireball), and on burnt and broken telephone pole (immediately left of break, at height of tree tops).