Local firefighters played a role in fighting the massive residential fire that began with what is believed to be the explosion of a gas main at 6:24 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 9) in San Bruno.

A message to the southern end of the Peninsula came in almost immediately asking for a water-tender group of four water trucks. The Woodside Fire Protection District provided a 3,000-gallon tender and four firefighters from Station 8 in Portola Valley, Battalion Chief Don Romero said in an interview.

Other participants in the group were the Kings Mountain and La Honda fire stations, staffed by trained volunteers, and the Skylonda station, which is staffed by firefighters who work for San Mateo County under contract with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Romero said.

Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Menlo Park Police Department has two officers on the scene for duties as needed, Chief Bryan Roberts told the Almanac.

Pacific Gas & Electric is reporting that there are about 700 people without power, and 300 without gas in San Bruno.

Two of the water tender crews were reported on their way back home at 10:15 a.m. Friday, Romero said. There were no injuries to the firefighters in the water tender group, he said.

For firefighters on the scene in San Bruno, there will be a lot of checking for and extinguishing small fires, Romero said. "You want to make sure you don't get a wildland fire out of this."