On the morning of Thursday, Dec. 11 at 9:38am a large explosion followed by a fire occurred at a home near Hayward.
The home, located on East Lewelling Boulevard, is in the unincorporated community of Ashland near Highway 238.
A gas pipe leak was reported to be the cause of the explosion. However, Alameda County Fire Department is still investigating the situation.
Video footage from a Nest camera of a home across the street shows an excavator working on the front yard of the property when the explosion occurred. Debris from the explosion scattered around the area reaching homes across the street and destroyed much of the home itself.
Six people were reported injured and all were transported to local hospitals.
According to a GoFundMe page created by Jessica Fox, the daughter of the residents, her mother, two adult siblings and a child were home at the time of the explosion. As of Friday, Dec. 12 the sibling and child remained in the hospital.
One family dog was saved, while a second dog and cat did not survive.
When asked for an update, Fox said, “[My parents] lost everything including their home & my dad’s business. My dad has been a contractor working out of that shop for 30+ years.” However, “Our family is staying positive and in good spirits through all this loss and figuring out the next steps forward. We are so grateful my parents and their neighbors came out of this alive.”
According to an NBC news report, eight Alameda County Fire Department engines were on the scene to contain the flames that followed the explosion.
A second GoFundMe page has been created by friends of the family.
In a statement released on December 16, Alameda County said, “The event last Thursday was unsettling. Our hearts go out to those injured and the nearby residents who experienced property damage. We are grateful to all of the first responders, including Alameda County Fire, who are trained and entrusted to respond to these events. We also thank PG&E for their timely response. As with any similar and serious incident, an investigation is underway by Alameda County Fire in collaboration with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Cal/OSHA.”
The further stated, “We hope that project work will resume in the weeks ahead with a continued emphasis on safety and security.”
Those with questions were encouraged to visit the project website.
This incident underscores the critical importance of strict safety protocols when operating heavy machinery near residential areas, reminding us that proactive measures can prevent tragic accidents.