Emergency crews were called to a gas line explosion in Westmoreland County Friday morning.
The explosion was reported shortly before 8:30 a.m. along Route 22 near Route 819 in Salem Township.
A man who was inside a home next to the blast was burned and taken by ambulance to a hospital. He told first responders he thought he heard a tornado.
“He looked out the window and all he saw was fire,” Forbes Road Fire Chief Robert Rosatti said.
The fire was blowing across Route 819 and the man suffered severe burns as he escaped the home and ran down the street.
“The heat was so intense, it was burning him as he was running.”
Two other nearby homes were damaged. Firefighters reported seeing nothing but flames when they arrived at the scene.
“As far across my windshield as I can see was a massive fireball,” Rosatti said
About a dozen homes were evacuated and there was no timetable for when neighbors would be allowed to return home.
Anyone who did not have a place to go was told to report to the Slickville Fire Department.
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The Department of Environmental Protection sent workers to the scene, according to spokesperson John Poister.
Firefighters from several departments were called in to fight the fire, which appeared to be under control shortly after 9:30 a.m. The gas was shut off.
“It looks like a bomb went off,” Rosatti said.
Spectra Energy, which owns the 36-inch line, released the following statement to Channel 11 News:
Spectra Energy is responding to an incident near Salem Township, Pennsylvania, involving the Texas Eastern pipeline. Our first concern is for the safety of the community, our employees and any others who may be affected. We have activated our emergency response plan. We are cooperating with authorities in our response, and we will provide more information at a later time.
Poister said the DEP investigation will take several weeks. The state police and Spectra Energy are also investigating.