where the pipeline was. the agency today sent three damaged sections of the 30-inch pipe to its metal testing lab in washington, d.c. >> we were looking at whether there was any damage associated with the excavation and the insulation of the pipe. the initial observations don't show any evidence of damage but again that will be looked at more thoroughly in the lab. >> the ntsb says it will also look at whether the valves near that pipe malfunctioned. the three people who are stillmying are all from the same family. the bullis family lived on claremont drive. neighbors say 82-year-old lavonne has lived there for decades. her son, greg, moved in there about one year ago, along with his wife, their son son. lavonne, greg and bill are still missing. sue was at work last thursday

evening when the explosion happened. >> would always come down to help you. >> the bull -- the bulliss were always helpful. officials at san francisco general hospital say four patients remain in the hospital. one man in his 50s is still listed as critical with burns. one in their 80s and 60s. and a female victim in her 80s is in fair condition. at this point there's no word yet when the patients might be released. we're getting more dramatic pictures taken of the day of the explosion. want to show you some images captured by a man whose house was behind the exploded pipe. the man grabbed his camera just after hearing explosion and headed for the balcony to capture these incredible pictures of this huge ball of fire. fortunately the man was able to get out of his home and was

allowed to return to it yesterday to inspect for damage. and this new video was taken by a surveillance video at a gas station at glenview drive and san bruno avenue. watch what happens. it's a couple of miles away from the explosion. but you can still see the intensity of the flames and the reaction of the people. a woman there with her baby running across the street. some, though, actually drove toward the glenview neighborhood while the explosion, as you saw there, sent others running for their lives. pg&e announced today it's creating a $100 million fund for the victims of the san bruno disaster. the utility says it will help residents with immediate cash paints and pay for costs not covered by insurance. starting friday, homeowners will get individual checks between $15,000 and $50,000 depending upon the extent of the damage to their homes. pg&e says that residents won't be asked to waive legal claims to get that money. well, tonight, pg&e says it's pretty sure no one recently called from san

bruno's firestorm area to report a gas leak before the explosion. the company says if they did, they would have responded immediately. today, they showed ktvu's consumer editor, tom vacar, how. tom is live in oakland. he's on one top of one gas main similar to the one that blew up. tom? >> reporter: indeed there is, there's one around here. average citizens are prevented from knowing those precise locations but for how long? given that pg&e has 6,000 miles of high pressure gas pressure lines buried under gas did help inspections such as the one in san bruno. the first one is gas. >> all gas odor smells are the high priority ones. we respond to those within an hour. >> reporter: often pg&e dispatches a sensor truck that can detect tiny amounts of

natural gas coming up from the road near or under which maintenance pipelines are buried. to pinpoint the precise location, inspectors literally walked these handheld sniffers throughout the area. where there's no road, a laser gun does the looking. when not -- pg&e goes over each line. >> we have records and protocol for rapidly dealing with these types of calls. >> reporter: the problem with many of these high pressure pipelines, is they were installed in neighborhoods that were barely populated if they were populated at all. now they sit directly atop of them and in volume. >> we have pipelines that provide stuffs to all of other

customers -- to all of our customers. >> reporter: tom vacar, ktvu channel 2 news. school officials are offering counseling to students to help them cope with the emotional trauma of the explosion. they returned to work the first time since the explosion. parents attended an assembly where parents' concerns were addressed concernly safety. >> i still don't know. they don't smell gas or anything. i'm sure they wouldn't allow the children there if they -- if it was an issue. >> all eight of the schools in the san bruno park elementary school district will closed on friday because of that pipeline explosion. in the san bruno disaster -- and the san bruno disaster has touched students at one university. members of san jose state set

up a table asking students to donate. a couple of the brothers there are from san bruno. >> we felt like we had to step in and support. we brought this idea together and we set it all up. we put it in as soon as possible. >> fraternity members say the donations collected today will go directly to the red cross for san bruno disaster relief. >> this is the worst bay area fire since the oakland hills firestorm 19 years ago and survivors of that disaster say the devastating losses then still echo today. john fouler is live tonight in the -- john fouler is live tonight in the oakland hills. >> reporter: this pavilion, a reminder of what thousands can't forget. the nation's most costly urban fire, 3,000 homes destroyed, 25 dead. >> it was a life-changing

experience. >> reporter: gordon piper stood on his front steps that sunday morning. he said his street turned into a volcano. some neighbors froze in panic. others ran for their lives. >> the fire's crested the hill. there was virtually no time to evacuate any possessions. >> reporter: this woman of montclair lost everything. >> i was more stunned. dy describe. >> reporter: she rebuilt. her neighbor did not. when she saw the san bruno thursday night, she said emotions came flooding back. >> it's really sympathy. i know how long it will had take. >> there is an aftermath dealing with the insurance company that for many was worse than the fires. >> reporter: piper said he had to threaten his ensure with

legal action. this reveals remarkable resilience. 80% exhibit almost no psychological symptoms. >> it made me more of an activist to work on emergency preparedness. >> reporter: inth fa, piper -- this fact, pinier led neighborhoods to this neighborhood. it's one of several firearm survivors. this one whether a reminor whether it's -- reminder whether it's fire or not, they stand together. >> and stay with us for continuing coverage of the explosion and fire. you can also find updates at any time and see additional video and photos by going to our website, ktvu.com. click on the san bruno tab. plans to release sarah shourd held hostage in iran for more than a year has hit

another snag. iran offered to release her for $500,000 bond. they countered to lower the bail because they are struggling to raise the cash. so far iranian authorities are not -- have not responded. she was detained also with josh fattal and shane bauer. . >> it is unfair that this immigration system is hurting so many families an separating us from our own parents. even if they come to the united states for a better life. >> the groups will join about 500 others across the country. they plan to meet with senator charles schumer and house

speaker, nancy pelosi. today, law enforcement officials who support legalizing marijuana went to city hall to announce their support for prop 19. backers say prop 19 would reduce crime by breaking the hold of drug cartels. >> here in oakland, where dozens of people are killed in drug and gangs-related murders every year, my primary concern is this does compromise our public safety. >> but in washington federal drug enforcement officials are denouncing prop 19. they want the attorney general to sue california if the measure passes in november. details on a new plan to get laid off police officers back on the job. plus -- >> reporter: a lot of students need loans to get through school and many plan to pay them back after graduation. coming up we'll show you why that plan is not making the grade. right now i'm tracking a storm system north from here that could make you bring out

the umbrellas before the week is over. the growing interest in apps and it drew a first-of-its- kind event to the bay area. we'll be back with more after this. get any phone free only at verizon when you buy the hot new samsung fascinate with its super amoled screen. get a free samsung intensity, a free blackberry bold or any other phone in our lineup. don't miss out. offer ends soon. buy a samsung fascinate and any other phone is free.

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>> reporter: a lot of students depend on student loans but also worry about the debt waiting for them. many students receiving financial aid, the plan --

borrow the money, get a good education, get a good job, pay the money back. but now many say who knew it would be too much and what happened to the economy? >> everything, my housing, tuition, everything has been paid for by loans. i'm kind of dreading -- dreading graduating and having to pay off those loans within like six months or a year after graduating. >> reporter: the department of education says the percentage of students defaulting on federal loans rose to 7% in 2008 and students at so-called for-profit colleges are twice as likely to default leading to more scrutiny at the obama administration. the corinthian colleges point out a lower percentage in graduation rates leads to a higher default rate. >> 750 people whose sole job help get jobs, we are fully prepared to demonstrate that we're offering our students a

good education and a good deal and the taxpayers a good deal. >> reporter: still it's not the taxpayers who feel the direct pressure. >> as soon as i graduate, i know it will sneak up on me and i will have all of these bills to pay. it will sneak up on me out of nowhere. not looking forward to it. >> reporter: the federal government will continue to evaluate. some experts say the cost of default of student loans could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. live in san jose, robert handa, ktvu channel 2 news. back now to the disaster in san bruno. we do have some developing news, within the past two hours, dozens of people were allowed past the fences there and into the disaster area and john sasaki is live in san bruno with more on that part of the story. >> reporter: i want to tell you, first of all, that we are at the church of the highlands where in less than two hours, representative jackie speier will be hosting a briefing between federal and state and local officials and the residents here in san bruno right now some folks are

pulling in. these are probably residents here in san bruno getting ready for this trying to find out the latest. just about 5:30, if we can show the video that we shot from newschopper2, we were there as the last of the red-tagged residents finished up their tour of the firestone. several big buses carried about 100 residents who lost everything, lost their holes, lost the contents, just basically escaped with the clothing on their backs. got out by the skin of their teeth. they got the chance to tour the area, to see the devastation, to see what is left and in one case, we talked to a resident who told us really that he was very upset, actually, because of the fact that the buses that they were on really went quite quickly through the area, didn't slow down, didn't stop long enough for them to take in really absorb what they were seeing. but that individual told us what they did get to his home he saw -- [ no audio ]

>> were three feet high -- [ no audio ] >> i guess the top half of it broke off. i was sitting with the people whose house was right next door, their chimney was taller. they are both totally destroyed. i don't -- it was just a quick pass-through. there was one other thing there. there were fire in-- there were firemen lined up along the street and some of the people yelled -- you know, yelling out things. >> reporter: that was bob hensel, who obviously got very emotional. he was a battalion chief for the san bruno fire department for just a few years ago. he was on the force for 32 years and he said he saw a lot of different fires in had us

career. this is the first time -- in his career. this is the first time he's been on this side of it. very, very upset. we are at the church of the highlands, hundreds are expected to come talk to jackie speier and come talk to senator leland yee and officials from the ntsb and other state and federal agencies to find out the latest about this investigation. i'm john sasaki, ktvu channel 2 news. jean kwan gathered organizers on the step to push for the passage of bb this november. it would prevent the domestic violence programs for this year. funding was reduced due to budget cuts. kwan says $6 million will be restored for domestic violence programs and to put 63 beat officers back on the street. >> i'm just afraid we're gonna revert to a time where people were afraid to call the police or if they call the police that support wasn't there. >> the measure requires a two-

thirds majority to pass. onto our weather now and believe it or not, bill has been telling us maybe some wet weather? >> there's a pretty good chance as we head down the road this week for showers. i think we might need some umbrellas around here. right now, temperatures outside are on the mild side the it feels like fall. it's still summer. 71 in concord, 72 in livermore. the forecast is for fog to get right back into your neighborhood tonight. some warning tomorrow and then again on wednesday. maybe more warming on thursday. as we head into friday, some showers in your bay area forecast. mainly in the north bay but it's gonna -- it could spread as far as san mateo, livermore. chance of showers. that's the system i'm tracking. before that gets here, we'll get the slight warmup. clearing skies, more sunshine tomorrow. there will be fog but it will clear. i think there will be breaks on the coast as well. and a warmer weather pattern

with low 80s. today was all about the 80s, low 80s. that's how it goes most of the week and then the clouds thicken up with showers a possibility on friday. everybody tomorrow when you wake up, just like this morning, a lot of row clouds and -- low clouds and fogs. temperatures in the 40s. fog burns right back. this is your tuesday, forecast -- mostly sunny, then. that's what i expect this time of year. but what i don't expect this time of year is what's gonna happen as the system moves down the coast and brings increasing clouds on thursday and friday midmorning, more clouds and then friday afternoon more showers. this forecast for cities where you live, 82 in antioch. 81 in concord. 80 in danville. 44 cities on the map. all of the cities represent temperatures -- these are about where they should be for this time of year. that's good. air quality is good. the fire danger is down or not

as high as it could be. we are at the height of fire season. this fire won't be that conclusive to fire issues. the five-day forecast -- the weather story is a chance of showers on friday. we'll track it. a lot could change but that's how it stands now. >> okay. thanks, bill. >> sure. if you want to tap into a new multi-billion dollar consumer market, you will need an app for that. and that's what the conference in san francisco is all about. hundreds are attending with dreams of striking it rich for the latest killer app. an estimated 7 billion apps were downloaded last year. convention organizers estimate app business will grow into a $17 billion industry by the year 2012. is it back to square one for both the raiders and the 9ers? sports is next.

mark's here with sports. what happened? [ laughter ] >> i tell you that. i didn't see it coming. hideous for both the 49ers and raiders opening day. when you lose as badly as san francisco did up in seattle, the quarterback always seems to take the brunt of the blame.

in all phases, the 9ers blayed poorly, receivers, you name it, the coaching staff, no game plan. just one game afterall. alex smith says no finger- pointing at all -- yet. >> i think it's pretty clear we all had a hand in it. i don't think you can look at the tape, the game yesterday and say that there were any standouts by any means. we all had a hand in this. we do have expectations. i think we all realize we -- you know, they played a great game and in a lot of ways we gave it up yesterday, so, i -- i think we'll have to improve. no question. too many penalty, can't stop the run, offensive line failures, you must be talking about the raiders. every bit as brutal as the 9ers in their defeat. not the kind of day that oakland had in mind for their brand-new quarterback, jason campbell. >> is jason's fine -- jason's fine.

we had a bad day. we're not gonna sit around and overanalyze it and overcook it. we'll look at the issues and fix it. i think he kind of represented our whole football team. just really not able to turn it loose and play. a little too cautious. >> amongst other things, as you see, what's on tap for the high school game of the week, you got a chance to get online at ktvu.com and vote. see some of the list of the games and vote. get online and we will feature one of those games come friday night on the 10:00 news. meantime the as were 3-1 winners back in kansas city this afternoon. full highlights tonight at 10:00. and the u.s. open final in progress. we'll show you that, too, tonight at 10:00. but that's the "sporting life" for right now. gasia? frank? >> thank you, mark. coming up next on bay area news at 7:00 on tv36 of --

>> just -- just -- heartbreaking. >> overwhelming for church members who face the job for the victims in the pipe explosion and we're also learning about those who lost their lives in the firestorm. that's in 30 minutes. that's our report for now. i'm gasia mikaelian. >> i'm frank somerville. for all of you, thanks so much for joining us. have a good evening, everyone.

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