Residents File Lawsuit In opposition to Contractors, Verizon Over San Francisco Gasoline Explosion – NBC Bay Space

Two San Francisco residents filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the construction company and contractors involved in a gas line rupture that caused a three-alarm fire on Geary Boulevard earlier this month.

According to the lawsuit, plaintiffs Carina Kouyoumji and Nora Wixom are suing Mastec Services Company Inc.; Mastec Renewables Construction Company Inc.; Kilford Engineering Inc.; and Advanced Fiber Works Inc. Verizon Communications Inc. was also named as a defendant.

Both plaintiffs live in one of the five buildings that were severely damaged in the fire on February 6th. The fire ignited after workers installing fiber optic lines near Geary Boulevard and Parker Avenue encountered a PG&E gas line.

The lawsuit alleges the explosion was a direct result of defendants' “reckless and willful violation of California law to use an excavator to dig a trench near underground facilities.”

The California government code requires anyone excavating near an underground installation, such as a gas line, to use hand tools such as a shovel.

The defendants are also accused of negligence, harassment and trespassing.

The lawsuit further alleges that the fire destroyed the property of the two plaintiffs, leaving them homeless. In addition, the two suffered from mental anguish and were therefore forced to take time off from work.

“Ultimately, there are contractors who work near high-pressure gas pipelines in a high-density area like San Francisco. One would think that all precautions would be taken in accordance with state law, including not using heavy machinery near gas pipelines,” said Ara Jabagchourian, lawyer for the plaintiffs. “We’re lucky no one was hurt here.”

Immediately after the gas line burst, flames shot into the air for over two hours before emergency crews stopped the flow of gas.

Residents in the neighborhood were evacuated. According to police and fire departments, two buildings were left with significant structural damage and three others with significant water damage.

According to PG&E, before excavation began, contractors had called 811 to check for utility lines beneath the area. PG&E then sent crews to the area to do markings.

Days after the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it had begun an investigation into the cause with assistance from the FBI. The investigation should include interviews with the contractors and subcontractors involved.

Florida-based Mastec and New York-based Verizon were not immediately available for comment. Kilford Engineering could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, Jabagchourian said.