Natural Gas Fire Leaves Homes, Highway Destroyed
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It may be winter, but residents near Sissonville, West Virginia felt the heat on Tuesday, Dec. 11 in the early afternoon. Officials in the region report a natural gas explosion left I-77 in flames, destroying 5 nearby homes. Luckily, no one was killed and only a few people were treated for smoke inhalation.
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According to WOWKTV.com, during the blaze, the flames were upwards of 80 feet high, covering an 800-foot area of the interstate. The heat from the explosion and fire was enough to melt the guardrails and crumble the asphalt highway. Earl Ray Tomblin, Governor of West Virginia, visited Sissonville to assess the damage and offer support to those whose homes had been destroyed.
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“Its one of those rare events that happens. At this time we do not have answers. Hopefully in the next several hours we will have a better idea of what caused the explosion,” said Tomblin. Speaking about the damage to the highway, Tomblin said, “It was like walking on a volcano.”
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Officials report that I-77 has been repaired and will be ready for use today.
