A semi truck overturned and struck a gas line Wednesday morning on East CR 38, just west of North SR 19, causing an explosion and a large fire to break out.
Republic Fire Chief Jason Porter said the semi had overturned in a driveway just after 6 a.m., causing the gas line to break, leading to an explosion.
Flames from the resulting fire reached 75-100 feet high.
Article Photos
PHOTO BY MIKE MASELLA
The chassis is all that is left of a semi truck that rolled over early Wednesday morning and struck a gas pipeline. Flames from the resulting explosion and fire shot into the air 75-100 feet.
The driver of the semi was uninjured, according to reports from the Seneca County Sheriff's Office.
Firefighters from Republic and Green Springs were called to the fire, which damaged siding on a nearby house and caused severe damage to the roadway.
Porter said residents from the house and another nearby house were evacuated as a precaution. They are expected to return today after the gas company repairs the gas line.
CR 38 likely will remain closed for a few days between SR 19 and SR 101.
"There's about a 100-foot section that will have to be replaced," Porter said.
Kim Gardner of North Central Electric Cooperative said about 350 residents in Adams and Pleasant townships were without power until around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday because of the explosion.
A planned outage is scheduled to begin today at 10 a.m. and last a couple of hours to replace a temporary pole.
"The same people will be affected," she said of the outage.
