UPDATE: Officials Say 84 Homes Still Not Occupied

UPDATE: 9:45 p.m.: The city said residents of 293 homes were allowed to return today as the re-entry of displaced residents was completed at 3:30pm, two hours ahead of schedule.

However, residents of 84 homes were still left without answers as authorities wouldn't let them return. Those 84 homes include the 37 homes that were destroyed in the fire and gas explosion, homes that suffered extensive damage and those that border the police perimeter that has been established around the explosion site. The city will hold a special meeting at 10am Monday at the senior center just for the residents of those homes.

The city's public works department confirms that streetlights in the area affected by the disaster have been restored. But crews are still working on restoring cable and phone service.

According to the city, police officers will continue to patrol the Glenview Drive area to ensure public safety.

2:50 p.m.: The city is now reporting that of the 377 homes that have been evacuated since Thursday's fire, authorities will be allowing 294 homes to be occupied.

The city said people in 83 homes will not be able to return today. Authorities said 82 of those homes are in the so-called "buffer zone" while one, which was destroyed, is outside of the zone. Information regarding those homes is expected to be given at the meeting the city is planning for 10am Monday at the senior center for those who lost their homes.

The last scheduled re-entry time for displaced residents will be at 5pm for those with homes on Plymouth Way and the 1100 block of Vermont Way.

In addition, officials said they have located two of the six people believed to have been missing, although the identities have not been released.

1:54 p.m.: The fourth phase of the re-entry of displaced residents is now underway, and mostly everyone is being let back into their homes. Residents whose homes were destroyed are still waiting for further information from authorities. 

12:24 p.m.: The first phase of re-entry for displaced residents is underway this afternoon at the following addresses: 111-191 Estates Drive, 200-280 Estates Drive and 881-930 Glenview Drive.

At a re-entry collection point at Skyline College, more than 100 residents were given instructions on how the re-entry will go, while being warned repeatedly that once they were at their homes, they would not be allowed to leave until the re-entry process was complete for every eligible homeowner.

Residents with properties in the area known as the "buffer zone," are not being allowed to return during this initial re-entry period, according to the city's website. Those people should leave their contact information with city officials at Skyline College in Parking Lot M. (For a list of these properties, click on the PDF accompanying this story.)

These residents, along with owners of other destroyed or otherwise uninhabitable homes, will receive information at a 10 a.m. meeting tomorrow at the San Bruno Senior Center. (For a list of red-tagged homes, as well information on conditions of other homes, click on the second PDF with this story.)

At Skyline College today, residents being allowed to return were handed color-coded wristbands and car window decals to be allowed into their neighborhoods once their identity had been confirmed through either an ID card or property records.

Re-entry volunteers told residents it could take up to one hour — per house — for the utilities to be turned back on.

PG&E workers are checking the status of the utilities, while city workers planned to set out dumpsters for residents needing to throw out spoiled food and other garbage. County mental health workers will be on hand to help residents if needed.

"I said yesterday there were dark clouds over this city," said Mayor Jim Ruane. "Today there are rays of sunshine."

Last night police said they believe seven people were killed in the Thursday explosion and fire after cadaver dogs found three more bodies Saturday. They also said they think six people are missing and four bodies have yet to be identified by the coroner, who could not confirm the death toll.

This morning, officials were vague about the exact number of missing and dead, saying only that the coroner's office needs to identify remains of an undetermined number of bodies found.