PG&E Refused Help From Fire Crews Shortly Before Gas Explosion Near Hayward: NTSB

HAYWARD, CA — PG&E told fire crews they "did not need assistance" with a gas leak nearly two hours before a massive explosion near Hayward that destroyed a home and left several people injured, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The explosion on the morning of Dec. 11, 2025, left at least six people injured and damaged two homes along the 800 block of East Lewelling Boulevard in an unincorporated area of Alameda County.

Employees of Mayo Asphalt Milling, a roadway and sidewalk repair company, were conducting road work in the area at around 7:25 a.m. when they damaged a service line leading to a nearby property, according to the report.

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PG&E's maintenance crew arrived about 22 minutes later and found a gas leak in the service line leading to a property at 868 East Lewelling Blvd, according to the report.

The Alameda County Fire Department arrived just a few minutes later, but left soon after when a PG&E responder informed them that they did not need assistance," according to the report.

The maintenance crew squeezed off the service line that was damaged, but detected gas at the ground level near the impacted home. Workers from the utility company told NTSB investigators that they knocked on the impacted home and two neighboring ones to inform them of the situation, but nobody answered.

Crews soon began digging and shut off the gas main to stop the flow of gas into the service lines of the impacted home just before 9:30 a.m. Less than 10 minutes later, the impacted home exploded, prompting fire crews to return to the scene, according to the report.

"The NTSB’s investigation is ongoing," according to the NTSB report. "Future investigative activity will focus on the physical evidence secured at the accident site, safe excavation practices, and PG&E’s leak response and leak investigation procedures. "

An earlier assessment by the NTSB determined the line damaged by the workers was a natural gas pipeline installed in the 1940s.