Shortly after 6 p.m on Thursday, a natural gas line explosion erupted in San Bruno at Skyline Boulevard and Sneath Lane, "sending up a geyser of fire, critically burning residents and igniting a blaze that gobbled up more than a dozen houses," notes SFGate. The massive explosion was heard for miles, and mistaken by many as an airplane crash, which sparked a firestorm the likes of which many us us have never seen before. (Reporters compared it to the Oakland Fire.storm of 1991.)

SFist updated throughout the night with extensive information on blood donations (Type O negative needed!), shelters, Howard Stern pranks, highway closures, and more. A total of 53 38 homes were destroyed, 120 homes damaged. 4 people died.

Here are images from the San Bruno fire.

Below, San Bruno explosion fire Google map.