Disaster Recovery News

A home in a Sacramento suburb exploded on Christmas Eve. Officials believe the explosion, which killed a man and injured five other people, was caused by a natural gas leak. It is not yet clear what ignited the gas. The home in which the explosion occurred was completely destroyed as the surrounding houses have been severely damaged.

The Associated Press reports 40 of the surrounding homes in the neighborhood were voluntarily evacuated as a safety precaution. Pacific Gas & Electric crews had been called into the neighborhood a day prior to the incident after residents reported smelling gas. The UPI NewsTrack states: “A PG&E spokesman said the crews could not shut off gas in an isolated area until they determined the exact location of the leak.”

Officials later returned to the neighborhood on Christmas day after residents reported smelling a gas leak. It was determined the second gas leak was caused by a propane tank, which was then sealed.

The National Transportation Safety Board, rather than PG&E, is investigating the cause of the initial, devastating gas leak as the gas pipelines run beneath the streets.

Learn about how disaster recovery specialists could assist resident in this neighborhood. Also, find out the steps to take after a disaster and the restoration process.

Video about the fire at the View Point Inn, as seen in the Twilight movie

A fire broke out Sunday night at the historic View Point Inn in Corbett, OR. Carl Linde built the Inn in 1924 for Grace Palmer. The Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places. This is also where the prom scene was filmed in the popular movie, Twilight.

The fire started within the walls of the kitchen and spread to the floors above it. The kitchen is currently out of service because of the blaze. The basement and a second-floor room have also been damaged.

Co-owner, Geoff Thompson, reported, “We had a great dinner and then smoke started coming out of the kitchen’s light fixtures.”

Angelo Simione, the other co-owner of the View Point Inn, stated to KPTV: “(It’s) very disheartening to see the damage like this. We’re working day by day just to keep this place going, to keep the business going. Small business has been hurt pretty badly, so this fire is the last thing we needed.”

Like Simione stated, business continuity is greatly affected after a disaster like a fire. One of the first things business owners should do after a disaster is contact a fire restoration specialist who can help restore important documents and the structure of the building. More on business continuity and fire damage recovery.

Learn more about creating a disaster plan for your business.