This would seem to be more than a leak,because of the wide area affected.



http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018...s-officials-say.html

At least four people were injured in Massachusetts Thursday night after "suspected gas explosions" tore through several communities outside of Boston, officials confirmed.

Preliminary numbers estimate that between 60 to 100 homes in the Merrimack Valley caught fire in the towns of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, Methuen Police Chief Joseph Soloman said.

MSP Fusion Center has current updated tally of responses to fires/explosions/investigations of gas odor at 70. Spread over wide swath of south #Lawrence and northern part of #NorthAndover with several others across Merrimack River in north Lawrence.
7:25 PM - Sep 13, 2018

This is ugly. My brother is on the fire department in the town we grew up in here in NH and they've sent an engine down to help and we're probably an hour away. Emergency crews have a lot of work ahead of them.

What in the hell is going on there?

This would be dominating the news if it wasn’t for the hurricane. Only a few casualties but many people have been uprooted by the gas company.

That map is wicked huge. Can it be reduced?

I wonder if something more volatile than natural gas got into the distribution system?

quote:

Originally posted by motor59:
I wonder if something more volatile than natural gas got into the distribution system?

What I've read is the system overpressurized and seemingly multiple relief systems failed. Doesn't surprise me. Infrastructure up here is ancient.

quote:

Originally posted by motor59:
I wonder if something more volatile than natural gas got into the distribution system?

More volatile than natural gas? Natural gas is enough to blow up a neighborhood.

Was Bruce Willis in a local gas plant doing a sequel to "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007)?

quote:

Originally posted by MitchbSC:
Was Bruce Willis in a local gas plant doing a sequel to "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007)?

Haha, one of the first things I thought of as well.

Don't worry. It is all Trump's fault.....

I think overpressurization in the line could easily explain things.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by MikeNH:

quote:

Originally posted by motor59:
I wonder if something more volatile than natural gas got into the distribution system?

What I've read is the system overpressurized and seemingly multiple relief systems failed. Doesn't surprise me. Infrastructure up here is ancient.

Called my buddy who did 30 years with Washington Gas. He said that was most likely the case. Also something about gas hot water heaters having a grease seal held shut with weak springs. Said house regulators are set up for 50-60PSI and if there is more the relief valve may not be able to vent it all leading to leaks in houses and pilot lights can end up shooting flames to the ceiling.

I'm sure their insurance company is super happy right now.

It's horrible. So many photos of leveled homes. So far I'm only seeing reports of injuries. It'd be incredible if no one was killed by this.

Is this a thing??? Has this ever happened before???

I mean I have heard of a house or two next to each other going up but like has been said this is like a movie plot.

Jesus folks all over are having a shit show unfold. Take care everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
Is this a thing??? Has this ever happened before???

A gas line took out a residential neighborhood in California.

One thing is for sure. The citizens will pay the settlements, but the perps who covered up the infrastructure problem will never pay, they will be covered for and protected by their incompetent govt bretheren, just like the turds at the just us department.

iir there was a similar problem several years ago, where a neighborhood blew up and burned from a similar natural gas problem. I like the idea of natural gas, but I don't trust it, because of situations like this. It seems to happen too often. I'm not sure that propane is any safer. there was a very large expensive home that blew up in a ball of fire some time ago in my city, caused by some kind of propane tank problem. I think if might have been underground or something like that.

A friend of mine has a full time job finding gas leaks, just on and around streets and sidewalks, from underground supply lines. There are some old ass pipes here in MA, and I'm sure that combined with some sort of equipment failure(s) is the cause here.

I don't remember something like this happening in such a large area in the past.

I just found it on google, this has happened before on a large scale:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...o_pipeline_explosion

nobody went to prison.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...f_pipeline_accidents

Man, that's the neighborhood I grew up in. It's likely I know some of the affected folks.
When I was growing up there, all the gas meters were inside, in the basement. Seemed like a bad idea even then.

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