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U.S. NEWS Friday 14 September 2018

$ 10

Panicked neighborhoods

evacuate as gas blasts

destroy homes

By PHILIP MARCELO Agency blamed the fires
LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — A on gas lines that had be-
series of gas explosions left come over-pressurized, but
at least four people injured officials who responded to
and ignited fires in at least the area were still investi-
39 homes in three com- gating the cause. State of-
munities north of Boston ficials said Columbia Gas
on Thursday, forcing entire was working to ease pres-
neighborhoods to evacu- sure on gas lines following
ate as crews scrambled to the fires.
fight fires and turn off gas Columbia had announced
and electric lines to pre- earlier Thursday that it
vent further damage. would be upgrading gas
Massachusetts State Po- lines in neighborhoods
lice urged all residents with across the state, including
homes serviced by Co- the area where the explo-
lumbia Gas in Lawrence, sions happened. It was not
Andover and North Ando- clear whether work was
ver to evacuate Thursday happening there Thurs- Firefighters battle a house fire, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, on Herrick Road in North Andover, Mass.,
afternoon, snarling traffic day, and a spokeswoman one of multiple emergency crews responding to a series of gas explosions and fires triggered by
and causing widespread did not immediately return a problem with a gas line that feeds homes in several communities north of Boston.
confusion as residents and calls. Associated Press
local officials struggled to Reached by phone, some
understand what was hap- local officials described
pening. scenes of panic as resi-
A man whose neighbor- dents rushed to evacuate,
hood was among dozens many wondering if their
that erupted in fire says homes would be next to
he ran into his basement erupt in flames. In North An-
to find that the room was dover, town selectman Phil
glowing. Lawrence resi- Decologero said his entire
dent Ra Nam says he was neighborhood had gath-
in his yard when the smoke ered in the street, afraid to
detector in his basement enter their homes. Just a
went off around 4:30 p.m. few streets down, he said,
Thursday. homes were burning.
When he ran downstairs “It’s definitely a scary situ-
and saw the boiler on fire, ation at the moment,” he
he quickly grabbed a fire said. “It’s pretty severe.”
extinguisher and put it out. Arial footage of the area
Minutes later, Nam said he showed some homes that
heard a loud boom from his appeared to be torn apart
neighbor’s house and the by blasts. At one, the upper
ground shook. Nam said a portion of a brick chimney
woman and two kids had crushed an SUV parked in
made it out of the house the driveway.
but the basement was on Schools and senior citi-
fire. zen centers were be-
Lawrence General Hospital ing opened as gathering
said it was treating four vic- points for residents who fled
tims with injuries related to their homes. Lawrence City
the fires but did not provide Councilor Marc Laplante
details about their condi- said entire neighborhoods
tions. were being evacuated in
The Massachusetts Emer- the Colonial Heights area,
gency Management which he represents.q