A hit-and-run collision Wednesday triggered an inferno at a Santa Clara strip mall, destroying five businesses, authorities said.
A woman behind the wheel of an early 1990s white Honda Accord rammed into a one-inch gas line. The crash ignited a fire, but the driver fled the scene, police said. The woman remains at large and police are actively searching for her.
Santa Clara Fire Department Battalion Chief David Rose said crews responded to a report of two loud explosions on Poinciana Drive and White Oak at around 3:50 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find a massive fire at a laundromat that quickly spread to nearby businesses, he said.
The blaze damaged Poinciana Lounge, KP Liquors and ABC Laundromat, a food store and a hair salon, Rose said. A person inside the laundromat and a firefighter were transported to a hospital for minor injuries, he added.
PG&E spokeswoman Mayra Tostado said that gas service in the was not impacted.
Officers temporarily closed off the area of Poinciana Drive and Lawrence Expressway due to the fire.
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Officials said firefighters will monitor the area for hot spot throughout the night and into the morning.
Anyone with information about the driver is requested to call Santa Clara police at 408-615-5580.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
