Seconds after the buildings came down...you could hear a crowd of about four-thousand people cheer.
But excitement quickly turned to terror.
As the fiery explosion sent sharp pieces of shrapnel flying…43-year old Jerry Wood could be heard screaming for help.
His wife dialed 911 in a panic:
Caller: Both of his legs...
Dispatcher- Ok...both of his legs are gone?...Are both his legs gone?
Caller: Yah...they're barely hanging on.
Wood was standing behind the gate when the shrapnel hit.
Caller: There's a lot of blood.
Dispatcher: Is he completely alert?
Caller: They're still attached?
Dispatcher: They're still attached?
Wood was treated immediately, but not quickly enough to save the shattered limb
The male sustained a complete amputation off one leg and a possible amputation of the second,” said Lt. Scott Tunnicliffe with the Bakersfield Police Dept.
PGE says the company is working with local authorities and CAL OSHA investigators
“We just like everyone else are looking for answers on what happened,” said PGE Spokesman Denny Boyles.
PGE says the plant has been idle for close to three decades. And they set up a safe zone a thousand feet from the blast.
“As a company, we are deeply saddened that the spectator was hurt,” said Boyles.