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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 15 September 2018

Everyone wants answers: Mass., feds hunt for gas blast cause

By BOB SALSBERG know how he did it.”
Associated Press The three communities
LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — house more than 146,000
Investigators worked Friday residents about 26 miles (40
to pinpoint the cause of a kilometers) north of Boston,
series of fiery natural gas near the New Hampshire
explosions that killed a teen border. Lawrence, the larg-
driver in his car just hours est, is a majority Latino city
after he got his license, in- with a population of about
jured at least 25 others and 80,000.
left dozens of homes in Lawrence Mayor Dan Ri-
smoldering ruins. vera reassured immigrants
Authorities said an esti- who might not be living in
mated 8,000 people were his city legally that they
displaced at the height of had nothing to fear.
Thursday’s post-explosion “Do not be afraid. Stay in
chaos in three towns north the light. We will support
of Boston rocked by the di- you and your family,” Ri-
saster. Most were still wait- vera said at a news con-
ing, shaken and exhausted, ference Friday, speaking in
to be allowed to return to English and Spanish. “Law-
their homes. rence is one community.”
The National Transportation Authorities said all of the
Safety Board sent a team to fires had been extinguished
help investigate the blasts overnight and the situation
in a state where some of The house owned by Lawrence Police Officer Ivan Soto sits nearly burned to the ground on was stabilizing. But Rivera
Jefferson Street, in Lawrence, Mass., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018.
the aging gas pipeline sys- Associated Press criticized the gas utility for
tem dates to the 1860s. snarling traffic and causing to ensure each was safe, Columbia Gas President poor communications and
The rapid-fire series of gas widespread confusion as and declared a state of Steve Bryant wouldn’t accused the company of
explosions that one official residents and local officials emergency for the affect- comment on the suspect- “hiding from the problem.”
described as “Armaged- struggled to understand ed area so the state could ed cause of the blasts, de- On Thursday, Andover Fire
don” ignited fires in 60 to what was happening. take over recovery efforts. flecting questions about his Chief Michael Mansfield
80 homes in the working- Some 400 people spent the The Massachusetts Emer- company’s response but described the unfolding
class towns of Lawrence, night in shelters, and school gency Management saying it had “substantive, scene as “Armageddon.”
Andover and North Ando- was canceled Friday as Agency blamed the fires on lengthy conversations” with “There were billows of
ver, forcing entire neigh- families waited to return to gas lines that had become the authorities. smoke coming from Law-
borhoods to evacuate as their homes. over-pressurized but said in- The Massachusetts gas rence behind me. I could
crews scrambled to fight pipeline system is among see pillars of smoke in front
the flames and shut off the the oldest in the country, of me from the town of An-
gas and electricity. as much as 157 years old dover,” he told reporters.
Gas and electricity re- in some places, according Aerial footage of the area
mained shut down Friday to the Conservation Law showed some homes that
in most of the area, and Foundation, an environ- appeared to be torn apart
entire neighborhoods were mental advocacy group. by the blasts.
eerily deserted. Columbia Gas had an- Brenda Charest stood anx-
Authorities said Leonel Ron- nounced earlier Thursday iously on her front porch
don, 18, of Lawrence, died that it would be upgrading while a crew checked her
after a chimney toppled gas lines in neighborhoods undamaged home before
by an exploding house across the state, including giving her the all-clear to
crashed into his car. He was the area where the explo- return Friday. On Thursday,
rushed to a Boston hospital sions happened. It was not she had come home to a
and pronounced dead clear whether work was hissing sound in her base-
Thursday evening. happening there Thurs- ment and a strong odor of
Rondon, a musician who A collapsed home and car sit damaged on Chickering Street in day, and a spokeswoman natural gas.
went by the name DJ Blaze, Lawrence, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, after a series of gas did not return calls seeking “We took off. I said, ‘Pack
explosions in several communities north of Boston. Authorities
had just gotten his driver’s li- said Leonel Rondon died after the chimney toppled by the comment. up, we’re out of here,’” said
cense, grieving friends and exploding house crashed into his car in the driveway. He was At least one story of hero- Charest, who went with her
relatives told The Boston rushed to a Boston hospital but pronounced dead there in the ism emerged from the 93-year old father and cat
Globe. “It’s crazy how this evening. ashes: that of Lawrence to a relative’s home. “It was
happened,” said a friend, Associated Press police officer Ivan Soto. His scary. We didn’t know any-
Cassandra Carrion. Gov. Charlie Baker said vestigators were still exam- house burned nearly to the thing.”
The state Registry of Motor state and local authorities ining what happened. ground, but after rushing Columbia Gas was been
Vehicles said Rondon had were investigating but it Capturing the mounting home to check on his fam- fined $100,000 by the state
been issued his driver’s li- could take days or weeks sense of frustration, Demo- ily and warn his neighbors for a variety of safety viola-
cense only hours earlier before they turn up an- cratic U.S. Rep. Seth Moult- to evacuate, he went back tions since 2010, including
Thursday. swers, acknowledging the on tweeted that he had on patrol. $35,000 in 2016 for failing
Massachusetts State Po- “massive inconvenience” called the utility’s president “He actually stayed on duty to follow company and
lice urged all residents for those displaced by the several times with no re- even though his house was pipeline safety regulations
with homes serviced by explosions. He said hun- sponse. “Everyone wants burning down” neighbor when responding to an out-
Columbia Gas in the three dreds of gas technicians answers. And we deserve Christel Nazario told The age and repairing a leak in
communities to evacuate, were going house-to-house them,” Moulton said. Associated Press. “I don’t Taunton.q