An Idaho town of about 10,000 people evacuated residents Thursday after a gas line exploded at a nearby intersection.
Authorities ordered evacuations for most of the town of Middleton as a result – with local sheriffs later saying they did not yet know if any injuries were reported in connection with the explosion.
Canyon County Sheriff’s spokesperson Joe Decker said people within a 4-mile radius of the explosion – which includes the small town – were ordered to evacuate, as authorities for about an hour turned motorists away from the then-at-risk area.
The order has since been lifted – pulled after cops confirmed the gas line had been shut off around 11:40am. At that point, residents in the town of 10,6000 were advised to ‘shelter in place’ instead.
Footage shows the explosion’s aftermath – after it reportedly a series of rumbles to reverberate for multiple miles. A series of elementary schools were also in the area, but were not emptied and have since resumed class, school district officials said.
Scroll down for video:
Middleton – a town of about 10,000 people in Southwest Idaho – evacuated residents Thursday after a gas line exploded at a rural intersection
The order – which saw at least 10,600 people briefly flee their homes – has since been lifted, pulled after cops confirmed the gas line had been shut off. Residents are now being advised to ‘shelter in place’. Two schools – with 1,200 students between them – did not evacuate
Social media accounts for the Canyon County Sheriff alerted residents as it happened – as smoke was still seen billowing from the rural road where the blast occurred.
‘EVACUATION NOTICE IN MIDDLETON’, the department’s initial warning, aired at 11:20am local time, read – before revealing officers were ‘working to evacuate anyone within a 4-mile radius of Purple Sage Road and Duff Lane.’
Within the hour, the sheriff’s office shared an update stating the gas had been shut off – and that the order, while brief, had been lifted.
‘Anyone within a 4-mile radius,’ officers said. ‘is being asked to shelter in place at this time.
‘Will provide additional updates as they become available.’
The statements did not specify what spurred the leak or explosion, though authorities in the area – including officers from nearby Ada County – were on the scene around noon.
A tweet from the Ada County Sheriff – shared 15 minutes before the evacuation order was lifted – warned drivers who had been planning to traverse Idaho 44 to stay way, as the highway remained closed well after the explosion.
More footage shared to social media showed an up-close look at the leak that caused the frenzy – where a steady stream of vapor can be seen escaping a visibly broken pipe.
Read Related Also: Leftists Support Hamas For The Same Reasons They Support BLM
Social media accounts for the Canyon County Sheriff alerted residents as it happened – as smoke was still seen billowing from the rural road where the blast occurred
Witnesses who spoke to press, meanwhile, reported loud noises reminiscent of a fighter jet coming from the site of the leak, with others – some from miles away – reported physically feeling the explosion.
As others fled their homes, students in two separate schools – Heights and Mill Creek elementary – were ordered to stay indoors despite being well within the blast radius.
Both schools – which are responsible for some 1,200 youngsters in their preteens or younger – said students were safe after the evacuation order was rescinded, and went on to continue both ‘lunch and classes’ as usual.
Emergency services currently in the area said they are working with both facilities to further ensure the children’s safety, and will continue to provide updates on their condition in real-time.
Decker, during the waning part of the morning, said he did not yet know if any injuries were reported in connection with the explosion – something that still was not confirmed more than an hour later.
As of 12:30pm local time, cops in Canyon County had not issued an update – after advising people earlier in the day to ‘share and assist/contact anyone you might know in that general area and help get them evacuated as a safety precaution.’
As others fled their homes, students in two separate schools – Heights and Mill Creek elementary – were ordered to stay indoors despite being well within the blast radius
Highway 44 – one of the most trafficked roads in the region – remained closed into the early afternoon Thursday, as much of the area affected by the explosion remained cordoned off.
Residents, however, are now in their homes where they are being told to stay – until they receive word otherwise from local authorities.
The cause of the apparent pipe burst is currently under investigation.
DailyMail.com has reach out the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office for an update on the situation.
