Thousands of homes fled after gas explosions and fires in Massachusetts: NPR

Updated Friday at 9:42 ET

Federal authorities have opened an investigation into a series of explosions that sparked fires in several small towns in Massachusetts on Thursday night, killing one person and injuring others.

The National Transportation Safety Bureau announced Friday that it was sending a team to investigate "what appears to be multiple explosions involving a pipeline."

According to local authorities, about 8,000 people have been displaced. Fred Thys from WBUR member station says residents may not be able to return home until Saturday.

The state of Massachusetts police has confirmed The authorities responded to 70 fires, explosions or reports of gas odors – probably caused by gas leaks – around the cities of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover on Thursday night.

Officials urged all residents of the area who are Columbia Gas customers to evacuate, "like any other person who smells of gas."

"Columbia Gas did not say what was wrong," reported Thys on Friday. "State emergency management officials say the potential overpressure of gas pipes could be the cause of [the] explosions. "

An 18-year-old man died when a chimney was knocked over by an explosion on his car in the city of Lawrence, according to The North-Andover newspaper, The Eagle-Tribune. The newspaper said 10 people were injured in the gas explosions; However, the Lawrence General Hospital reported earlier that 13 people were receiving treatment there.

The officials at the hospital said in a tweet these injuries included smoke inhalation and blast trauma, and a person in critical condition was transported to a Boston Trauma Center.

At least three people were injured in Andover, including a firefighter and two civilians, city officials said in a statement. It is unclear whether those injured in Andover are part of the group receiving care at Lawrence General Hospital.

On Thursday night, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera told residents that they could not go home that night; the police said the gas lines were depressurized by the company but warned that the process could take time.

Governor Charlie Baker said: "The depressurization of the lines in the stop was designed to ensure that there are no more fires tonight", although he added that the firefighters would continue to turn off the lights. fires all night.

Public Schools in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover will be closed Friday because of fires.

Andover Town Manager Andrew P. Flanagan, Police Chief Patrick E. Keefe and Fire Chief Michael Mansfield said the Andover firefighters had set off a total of 35 fires. "At the top, 18 fires were burning at the same time," they said, adding that all the fires had been extinguished and the fire crews would remain in the city throughout the evening.

Columbia Gas closed all customer services in all three cities, MPS officials said in a statement. tweet. The electricity was also extinct.

Associated Press reported:

"The Columbia Gas company had announced earlier Thursday that it would improve the gas lines in neighborhoods across the state, including the area where the explosions took place." It was not known if the work was going on. unfolded on Thursday, and a spokesperson did not immediately comment. "

Before evacuating north of Andover, Jeremy Melvin described a chaotic scene near the plumbing store where he works.

"We have people running to cars, multiple fires, smoke on either side of my vision," Melvin told Lynn Jolicoeur of WBUR.

State police soldiers and local police helped evacuate residents. The access ramps to the cities were closed while the access ramps remained open to allow residents to exit affected areas.

At one point, Methuen's police chief, Joseph Solomon, told USA Today that there were so many fires, "you can not even see the sky".

Reuters spoke to an evacuee named Guilia Holland:

"Holland, a 35-year-old wheelchair mechanic, said that she had just come back from a bus when she came home when she saw" a big flash "in the house where she was renting. a room for a month.

"Fortunately I was not at home or did not talk about it," she told a Lawrence elementary school that the Red Cross had turned into a shelter for about 170 people. people."

NPR's Tovia Smith met with a resident of Elaine Almquist, who said she felt powerless.

"I could see smoke, helicopters, fire trucks, police cars, just constant sirens – my city literally burns down," Almquist told Smith.

"[Almquist] was able to get home and catch her cat before she ran away to her parents, but with so many people evacuating immediately, she said that the 15-minute trip took him two hours, "says Smith. before she can go home. "

Teams – each with a police officer, a firefighter and a gas technician – go door-to-door in the affected area, says Smith, checking thousands of homes.