Multiple gas explosions in Greensboro, Ga., forced dozens of people to evacuate their homes and businesses Tuesday morning. About 840 customers are without gas service as a result of the accident.
Greensboro is about an hour east of Atlanta. The explosions happened near the Webb Brothers and Moons Grocery store on East Broad Street, just before 10 a.m. Officials said gas should be restored to those affected by Wednesday morning.
Greensboro City Manager Larry Postell told Channel 2's Carl Willis that crews were working on the main valve from the high pressure line that feeds the city. Somehow, a fire started during the project. Authorities told Channel 2 Action News the valve blew and began shooting flames about 50 feet high.
East Broad Street and Highway 15 South near the explosion site were closed for hours to traffic.
The explosion and constant flames were alarming but not a surprise for some who live around a natural gas regulator station.
"I often wondered one day, would that explode? And evidently, today was the day," said neighbor Jean Akins.
Diana Nava said she works near the location of the explosion.
"I moved back and I saw the flames because they were pretty high. It was very aggressive and I just took off running because I was not trying to get burned," she said.
Postell, meanwhile, said changes could be on the way. He said the site where the incident happened has been breached before.
"There are motor vehicle accidents that create fires and that's quite dangerous for a motorist to be involved in breaching that kind of high-profile system," Postell said.
"I always thought this was too close to a house anyway," Postell said.
The city owns about 12 acres near the site and officials are thinking about pushing the possible danger away from the road that borders homes.
"We'll end up moving it to some more property that the municipal gas system owns that's in behind there and take it away from all these road systems," Postell said.
"It will be a welcome sight to see that moved," Akins said. "I wish they would. That would be a prayer come true."
There were no reports of injuries.
The name of the gas company vendor that was working on the project is unknown.
