Gas pipeline explosion shoots flames 500ft into air and is seen 36 miles away
There were dramatic scenes in a small US town after a gas pipeline exploded, shooting flames into the air which could be seen for miles.
The explosion happened in the town of Laverne, Oklahoma, near the Texas border yesterday. Those who witnessed the column of fire erupting from the gas pipe shared photos and videos on social media. They show flames shooting up out of the pipe into the dark night sky, lighting it up with a red haze and glow that locals said could "be seen for miles".
Local fire department Elmwood Fire shared limited details of the blaze after it broke out, taking to their Facebook page to share: "Our crews are responding to a pipeline blow out south of Midway Church off 412. The glow can be seen for miles!"
Nearby residents took to the post to share just how far they could see the flames and/or orange glow from. One person said: "We are 36 miles away from the fire and we can see it".
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People claimed to see a glow from the fire for many miles away (Elmwood Fire/Facebook)
Local fire crews claimed the flames reached as high as 500ft into the sky (Elmwood Fire/Facebook)Another posted a photo of the glow noticeable in the sky from the fire which they said was from around 25 miles away. One person even said they could see the glow from Sublette, Kansas, almost 100 miles away.
The Booker Fire Department, which operates in Booker, Texas, and the surrounding areas, also responded to the blaze. Sharing a video of the flames reaching up into the night sky, they wrote: "Gas line explosion north of Darrouzett.
"Crews from several departments are staged at a safe distance until the gas can be turned off. This video was taken from approximately three miles away".
One person commented on that video saying: "Now I understand why I got the smell of gas, I pray everyone is okay." Others sent prayers that anyone nearby was safe and thanked fire crews for their work.
In a later update with another showing the raging flames erupting into the sky, the fire department said: "The flames are estimated to reach over 500 feet high." The fire is believed to have broken out sometime on Tuesday evening with fire officials first noting teams being dispatched to the scene shortly before 11pm ET.
The raging fire could be seen on satellite images (Elmwood Fire/Facebook)Local fire officials also said that once the pipeline had been shut down, the impacted section would need to be depressurised. Only then could crews move in to tackle any flames that remained.
Across the fire departments' social media posts, locals asked which pipeline had been impacted, with many saying it was the DCP pipeline. DCP Midstream, a Denver-based Fortune 500 natural-gas producer and transporter was acquired by Phillips 66.
A spokesperson for Phillips 66 confirmed the fire broke out at around 9.15pm local time, 10.15pm ET, around 60 miles west of Woodward, Oklahoma. They said: "There have been no injuries associated with the incident and no health threats to neighbouring residences. Phillips 66 has shut in the affected section of pipeline and has made the appropriate regulatory notifications."
According to the spokesperson, the cause of the rupture has not yet been identified. They added the company's "first priority in responding to this incident is ensuring the safety and health of its workers, emergency responders and the surrounding community."
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