Sep 10 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Firefighters have been working all night and are expected to continue on throughout the day trying to stop the huge fires which have sprouted from a gas explosion in a San Bruno California that has destroyed 54 homes, and damaged hundreds of others, causing thousands to be evacuated, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It is still unclear what exactly caused the explosion which has caused six people to lose their lives. Local police suspect that there will be an even larger death toll once they are able to get into the area and go door to door inspecting homes.

Some, including the former mayor, Bob Marshall thought it was a plane crash, “We were in our house. It sure sounded like a plane went over. The next thing we saw, the flames, the explosion and the flames.” But others claim to have smelled gas the day before. Until fire inspectors can get closer to the area, the cause remains unknown.

The crater which was left by the explosion is said to be the size of an intersection. Ten acres of neighborhood, streets, and homes are currently on fire, although the flames have died down a great deal. At one time during the night, flames were shooting as high as 200 feet according to FOX news.

As of now the only thing which firefighters can really do is try to contain the fires, and attempt to put them out. The area was said to be so hot that the asphalt from the road was running down the street. The power remains off, and the empty, burned out hulls of homes stand eerily in the morning’s light.

San Bruno Fire Captain Charlie Barringer stated “I thought a 747 had landed on us. It shook our station right to its foundation.” Not only were gas lines and power supplies destroyed by the explosion, but the grid of water mains which supply the area were taken out as well. The firefighters had no water to fight the fire. Barringer added, “We were overwhelmed. We had multiple neighborhoods on fire.”

The crew was finally able to string hoses together in order to pump water from two or three miles away. Area businesses are donating food, and water to those who were ripped from their homes in the middle of the night, and Barringer expects to be out there “for at least a week.” The search is ongoing for more victims of this tragedy, and six bodies have been found so far. “I’m sure there’s going to be a few more,” Barringer stated as he returned to work.