1973 living in Paso Robles just got off work and was having a conversation with a friend standing in front of a business (bar) two down from where I worked. Probably were talking 20-30 minutes, decided to have a beer. For some reason instead of going to the bar we were standing in front of went to one at the end of the street.
Got in my VW bug parked across the street and drove to the end of the street.
Were in the bar for just a minute and heard a loud boom. Then heard sirens, looked outside and saw something had happened down the street.
The bar we were standing in front of had blown up, was an old two story brick building, it was leveled. Found out later it was a natural gas leak in the basement that ignited the blast.
Glass from the large front window we had been standing in front of a few minutes earlier for 20-30 minutes was blown across the street and 50 yards further into a park. Large Venetian blinds were blown across the street and landed where my car had been parked.
6 of the 9 that were inside the building died, the other 3 seriously injured.
To this day do not know why we decided to go down the street to a bar instead of the one we were standing in front of?
Also if the building had blown a few minutes earlier the glass blown out would have shredded us to pieces, we were standing just a few feet in front of it.
Must not have been out time to go?
Probably a lot to be said for that; be thankful. :)