News Update
Gas line explodes in McKinney
Courtesy of First Response Photography - A ruptured natural gas line exploded and engulfed construction vehicles in flames and caused a brief power outage Tuesday morning in eastern McKinnney.
(update)
By Chris Beattie, cbeattie@starlocalnews.com
A busted gas line sent an explosive fire into the air Tuesday morning near Highway 5 and State Highway 121 in eastern McKinney.
At around 8:30 a.m., a six-person Atmos Energy crew was replacing a section of a high-pressure gas line that runs north of Medical Center Drive between McKinney and Allen when the excavator they were using ruptured the line, and flames engulfed the construction vehicle and a nearby truck, according to an Atmos representative on scene.
No one was seriously burned or injured in the explosion, said Deputy Chief Joe Ellenburg. One worker was transported to a hospital by Atmos workers as a precautionary measure and was treated for a very minor injury, he said.
The line's supply was cut off around 9:40 a.m., and the flames died out once the remaining gas was burned off. About seven miles separated the fire site and the cutoff point, said Stacie Durham of the McKinney Fire Department.
Nearby apartments and Medical Center of McKinney, the hospital located just a couple hundred yards south of the fire, temporarily lost power when flames damaged power lines in the area. The hospital operated on generator power during the outage.
Power was soon restored to the hospital but remained out for a couple of hours for nearby residents.
Gas service to Fairview customers was out late into the afternoon. Atmos brought in a tanker truck to temporarily feed the lines in town until the gas line could be repaired.
Atmos urges anyone with questions or concerns to call 1-888-286-6700.
By Chris Beattie, cbeattie@starlocalnews.com
A busted gas line sent an explosive fire into the air Tuesday morning near Highway 5 and State Highway 121 in eastern McKinney.
At around 8:30 a.m., a six-person Atmos Energy crew was replacing a section of a high-pressure gas line that runs north of Medical Center Drive between McKinney and Allen when the excavator they were using ruptured the line, and flames engulfed the construction vehicle and a nearby truck, according to an Atmos representative on scene.
No one was seriously burned or injured in the explosion, said Deputy Chief Joe Ellenburg. One worker was transported to a hospital by Atmos workers as a precautionary measure and was treated for a very minor injury, he said.
The line's supply was cut off around 9:40 a.m., and the flames died out once the remaining gas was burned off. About seven miles separated the fire site and the cutoff point, said Stacie Durham of the McKinney Fire Department.
Nearby apartments and Medical Center of McKinney, the hospital located just a couple hundred yards south of the fire, temporarily lost power when flames damaged power lines in the area. The hospital operated on generator power during the outage.
Power was soon restored to the hospital but remained out for a couple of hours for nearby residents.
Gas service to Fairview customers was out late into the afternoon. Atmos brought in a tanker truck to temporarily feed the lines in town until the gas line could be repaired.
Atmos urges anyone with questions or concerns to call 1-888-286-6700.
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