An explosion Monday of a section of Enbridge’s Texas Eastern natural gas pipeline in Ohio created a fireball of flame and damaged homes, prompting the evacuation of nearby residents.
The explosion appeared to have destroyed two homes, Chasity Schmelzenbach, emergency management director for Noble County, Ohio, told Reuters.
Enbridge said two people were injured and two structures damaged in the incident, which occurred at 10:40 a.m. EST (1540 GMT). It said the fire had been contained, but residents near the incident in southeast Ohio, had been evacuated, Kallanish Energy reports.
“Enbridge personnel are responding to an incident in Noble County, Ohio, on its Texas Eastern natural gas pipeline,” the company announced. “We have activated our emergency response plan and are cooperating with authorities in our response.”
The Calgary-based pipeline giant said the section of Texas Eastern pipeline which exploded is 30 inches in diameter and was built roughly 65 years ago. An in-line inspection of the line was performed in 2012, and no remediation was needed, according to Enbridge.
Texas Eastern pipeline carries natural gas from the U.S. Gulf Coast and Texas to high-demand markets in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. It’s unclear how long a shut-in will be in place as various regulators and Enbridge conducts their investigation.
Nor is it clear how the explosion will impact customers in some of the most densely populated areas in the U.S. during an ongoing cold snap.