A vehicle struck a natural gas pipeline in Texas, causing an enormous explosion on Wednesday.
The explosion at an Exxon service station in Mansfield, Texas, lit up the night and was visible for miles.
The blazing explosion occurred at 1 a.m., fire officials said, causing a fire to erupt that was visible from miles away. It also forced several residents within a mile of the explosion to evacuate from their homes.
WATCH: TURBULENT WINDS FLIP TRUCK IN TEXAS
****Major Incident****
At around 1:00 am on March 23, a vehicle ran into natural gas pipeline. There is a major fire. Hwy 287 is shutdown in all directions. Residents within a one mile radius are being evacuated. Shelter is available at 1261 S. Main St, Annette Perry Elementary pic.twitter.com/5MkW1LQ3ME— Mansfield Fire Dept. (@MansfieldFireTX) March 23, 2022
All residents affected by the fire were encouraged to evacuate to the nearby Annette Perry Elementary School, according to fire officials.
One person was flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas with “very critical” burn injuries, according to fire officials. It is unclear whether that person is the driver who struck the gas line.
Huge Gas Fire in Mansfield, TX@DFWscanner pic.twitter.com/tmOT83Ljp4
— Wes Trimble™ (@WesTrimble) March 23, 2022
The fire forced two local highways to close down temporarily, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
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First responders put the fire out by 3:30 a.m., allowing residents to return home by 4 a.m.
Atmos Energy, which owned the gas line, told NBC 5 that natural gas to the area was isolated while repairs were being made to the pipe.
