An apparent gas line explosion sent a fireball shooting into the sky and briefly shut down Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County, Virginia, Tuesday morning, authorities say.
The explosion erupted near Battlefield Road and Copp Road in Strasburg, the sheriff’s office reported at about 9 a.m.
No injuries were reported, and the exploded section of the pipeline was isolated, TC Energy said.
Video shows a large orange cloud of fire burning on the side of the road high above the tree line. Gray smoke rises into the clear sky.
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The flames and smoke could be seen for miles. Hunter Sellers said he was driving home with his two young daughters when he felt powerful heat, saw the flames and heard their roar.
“It sounded like there was a jet right over us. It just sounded really loud. When we were driving past and everything, there was so much heat coming off of it,” he said.
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Sellers compared the feeling to “when you open the oven to check your food and you just get hit with a heatwave. That’s what it felt like.”
Chopper4 video showed what appears to be an orange fire retardant in a clearing surrounded by charred trees.
The Strasburg Police Department said I-81 northbound and roads near Battlefield Road in Fisher's Hill were temporarily closed. Police said to expect heavy traffic in downtown Strasburg because of the I-81 traffic delays.
The fire was contained, and no structures were at risk, the sheriff’s office said.
TC Energy, a Canadian company, said it detected a pressure drop in the pipeline at about 8:40 a.m. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which regulates pipelines, explosions such as this are down in recent years. The most common causes are maintenance issues, construction flaws, excavation damage and corrosion.
This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.
