Fireball tragedy in California suburb brings gas industry under scrutiny

Chimneys and burned-out cars are left in the wake of an explosion and fire in San Bruno, south of South Francisco. Photograph: Max Whittaker/Getty Images
The natural gas industry is coming under intense scrutiny today, after a massive fireball ripped through a ruptured pipeline in a suburban town near San Francisco, killing at least four people, injuring dozens more, and burning more than 50 homes to the ground.