But commercial flights in and out of Mineta San Jose International Airport will not be disrupted because their fuel, which is provided by Chevron/Texaco, is delivered by truck, said Steve Luckenbach, an airport spokesman.
The 1:30 p.m. blast forced the evacuation of nearby Los Lomas High School, shut down access to southern downtown Walnut Creek and set two houses on fire. The rupture of an underground Kinder Morgan petroleum line occurred after a construction crew apparently dug into the line.
Valves at both ends of the pipeline were shut and firefighters let the remaining fuel burn off, said Contra Costa County Fire District firefighter Steve Maiero. Flames were visible for miles.
The pipeline exploded while contract workers with Matamoros Welding of Oakley were digging near it, said an East Bay Municipal Utility District land surveyor who was 1,000 feet from the blast.
``I heard the blast and right away I knew what it was, because I knew about the pipeline,'' said utility district land surveyor Bert Fujisaki.
The pipeline is a 10-inch diameter, high-pressure line that carries petroleum products including aviation fuel, sources said.
The pipeline carries about 500 gallons of petroleum per mile and the two valves are several miles apart, Maiero said.
Kinder Morgan maintained the pipeline that moves fuel for San Jose airport's private and corporate tenants. But airport officials said Kinder Morgan has enough fuel stored in tanks at its San Jose site to accommodate those customers.
``We have not experienced any disruption at our airport, and we're confident our primary provider can accommodate us,'' said Fernando Pe
