I don't pretend to know more than I read in the article, but I do know that electricity doesn't blow up. It could have easily been a combination of factors including a spark caused by underground cables, and I don't suspect terrorism as terrorists tend to try and kill a lot of people which doesn't appear to have happened here. I hope those folks get their power back on soon. I hate trying to get by without electricity. Mine was out for about 30 hours when Rita came through last year and it was rough.
Actually electricity does blow up. Overloaded transformers full of oil heat up and explode in balls of fire.
For a somewhat more technial answer, see post #29.
Transformers will explode. Check out the video at the bottom of this page:
http://www.alfatransformer.com/
Yeah. I'm 3 blocks away, didn't feel or hear a thing.
We've got a lot of SMUD vaults in the downtown Sacto. area. Remember, downtown is raised about 15 feet above ground level. Sac was built up before the levee system. They kept some of the areas raised up, including parts of the downtown grid. This wouldn't be the first vault to blow.
Forget Lodi, take a good look at Yuba City.