The explosion of a gas line causes evacuations in the west of the city of Pennsylvania



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Shortly before the blast, there were no casualties in the downtown area at 5 am, said police chief Barry Kramer. However, he said: "The main goal was to evacuate."

A dramatic video of a subsequent fire was widely broadcast on social media, with images of the flames illuminating the sky.

"The whole sky was orange," resident Chelsea Guthrie told CNN. "The flames were about 10 to 15 feet above the tree line."

According to Kramer, Dallas-based Energy Transfer owns and operates the line.

The utility had cut the line at 5:52, said Kramer, allowing the first responders to take a closer look. "A house, a garage and vehicles were damaged," he said.

An inverted 911 system was used to call and evacuate people in up to 30 homes as a precaution. Some evacuated residents had to seek temporary shelter at a nearby fire station and were taken in charge by the American Red Cross.

Police said schools in the area were closed for the day. Authorities said residents will be able to safely return their homes as soon as the energy transfer gives the go-ahead.

The company did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

Center Township, a community of about 12,000 residents, is located about 40 km northwest of Pittsburgh.
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