By the CNN Wire Staff September 12, 2010 -- Updated 1645 GMT (0045 HKT)
San Bruno, California (CNN) -- Three days after a massive gas line fire decimated part of a California neighborhood, residents on Sunday were being allowed to survey the damage firsthand.
San Bruno, California, City Manager Connie Jackson said that the first group of residents would be allowed to come back to their homes Sunday afternoon. Residents would be processed and escorted to their homes in groups to ensure safety and privacy, she said.
But families who had their houses completely destroyed by the fire will not be able to go back yet, Jackson added.
The number of people missing in the aftermath of the fire has grown to six, San Bruno Police Chief Neil Telford said.
The official death toll from the blaze stands at four, according to a statement released by the city of San Bruno late Saturday.
Authorities had found additional remains that were undergoing forensic testing, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said. The testing would clarify how many victims' remains were found, he said.
The fire started Thursday after a gas transmission line ruptured in the suburban San Francisco town.
The blaze destroyed 37 homes and damaged eight, Matthew Bettenhausen, California Emergency Management Agency secretary, has said. Cars also melted from the blaze.
On Saturday, California Sen. Barbara Boxer demanded answers about why the gas transmission line ruptured.
Accompanied by state and federal officials, Boxer toured blocks of the charred neighborhood that now resemble a war zone.
"Many questions must be answered by all of us whose job it is to protect our people," Boxer said. "What was the cause of this blast of course, first and foremost? Were there reports that there were odors escaping from the pipeline? If there were those reports, what actions took place in response to those complaints?"
Residents packed a town hall meeting Saturday seeking answers from public officials about rebuilding and compensation issues.
Maura Guerrero, who lost her home, said she smelled gas coming out of her drain about four months ago and called Pacific Gas and Electric. But once the smell went away, she thought nothing of it.
"I didn't know there was a transfer station under the ground," Guerrero said. "If I had known, maybe it would have clicked."
Some area residents have alleged that there was a smell in the neighborhood at least a week before the blast.
Pacific Gas and Electric President Chris Johns has said the company was scouring phone records and had not found evidence that complaint calls were placed. Nor was there evidence, he said, that utility crews had been in the area Thursday, the day of the blast.
Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said he has written a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission seeking information on gas pipelines across the state, including their ages, inspection dates and records.
Firefighters were able to fully contain the blaze Friday, but federal and state investigators had not yet determined the cause.
The 30-inch natural gas pipe was installed in 1956, according to National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Christopher Hart.
Hart has said investigators will look closely at the pipe's welding and whether the pipe properly emitted an odor that may indicate a gas leak.
Conflicting reports about the number of people who died in the fire emerged Saturday. Earlier in the day, the city of San Bruno released a statement saying the death toll was seven, citing the police chief. But later the city released a statement saying the death toll remained at four, based on corrected information from the San Mateo County Coroner's office.
Officials have identified several of the dead.
Jacqueline Greig, 44, and her 13-year-old daughter Janessa were killed, San Mateo County Deputy Coroner Michelle Rippy said. A third victim was identified as Jessica Morales, 20.
Another 52 people were injured, including three patients who were taken to the hospital with third-degree burns and four firefighters who suffered from smoke inhalation.
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