An explosion along the Colonial Pipeline in rural Alabama killed one worker and injured several others Monday not far from where the line burst and leaked thousands of gallons of gasoline last month, authorities said.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Colonial Pipeline Co. said in a statement late Monday that one worker was killed at the scene, and five others were taken to Birmingham-area hospitals for treatment.
The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the forest, happened about a mile west of where the pipeline ruptured in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. That break led to gasoline shortages across the South.
“We’ll just hope and pray for the best,” Bentley said.
Georgia-based Colonial said in a brief statement that it had shut down its main pipeline in the area.
A track hoe — a machine used to remove dirt — struck the pipeline, Colonial Pipeline said in a more detailed update late Monday night. Gasoline was then ignited and caused the blaze, the company said.
Phil Montgomery / Alabama Forestry Commission via AP
In September, the pipeline leaked 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline and led to dry fuel pumps and price spikes in several Southern states — for days, in some cases. There was no immediate indication whether Monday’s explosion near Helena southwest of Birmingham would lead to similar shortages.
Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of the state where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading across the landscape.
Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews built a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel, which will be allowed to burn itself out. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Monday night that the blaze had been contained but it was unclear how long the fire may take to burn out.
Two wildfires caused by the explosion burned 31 acres of land, Vansant said.
Houses around the blast scene were evacuated, and Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jeff Hartley said it wasn’t clear when people might be able to return home.
“There’s a large plume of smoke; there’s a large fire. We’re not sure exactly how it started or what caused it,” he said.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Firetrucks were still arriving on the scene hours after the explosion, and ambulances were parked along a highway nearby.
“We’ve got first responders entering the area, and a lot of them,” Hartley said.
Bentley said the explosion seems to have been an accident.
The injured workers were taken to Birmingham hospitals by helicopter and ambulance, the governor told WBRC-TV in a live interview. Their conditions weren’t immediately known.
Eight or nine subcontractors were working on the pipeline when it exploded about 3 p.m. Monday, Shelby County sheriff’s Maj. Ken Burchfield told Al.com.
“Colonial’s top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on site and protection of the public,” the company said in a statement.
Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, transports more than 100 million gallons of products daily to markets between Houston and New York City, serving more than 50 million people, it says on its website. Those include petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
What is with these pipeline disasters? Is it sabotage by the Democrats, to destroy pipelines and the economy? It smells, this
is two disasters in the last two months, and things don’t smell too good for the Democrats!
I am somewhat concerned that these happenings may be terrorist sabotage of this pipeline. Has anyone looked into the break for signs of tampering evil? Let’s get this tied down, I am sick of no gasoline at my pumps and price rises!
There is no shortage as there were no shortages in the seventies. My family members worked in these fields for years, it was surprising what we weren’t short of.
Have Sons who partially grew up, live, & work in the NW North Dakota Bakken Oil Field area. There’s zero, NO, shortage of any fossil fuels. It’s price manipulation that Obama used during his 1st 6 years & then manipulated the markets down at election time(s). Many pipelines do need replaced & upgraded but not to the point Democrats, LeoTardo DeCraprio, Mark Puffalo, Susan SaranWrap, Christine Hemsworth, Miley “Porno” Cyrus, etc. claim. They parade around in their private Jets, SUVS, Yachts, etc. & lecture hard working Americans on the environment. Won’t watch anyone of these phony hacks movies. Is a wonder the Cannon Ball, ND Pipeline Protestors didn’t rush down there to protest.
OK boys and girls go back an read it all again. The pipe got hit by a very large track hoe. Those things are large and can knock down your house. It didn’t say but the guy running the machine was most likely the one that died. The other guys that got hurt most likely were caught in the fire or got hurt trying to save the guy that died. That will come out later when the investigation is done. Now I say this because I was an accident investigator and retired as such. Sometime good help is just hard to find and there is a lot of work keeping up with repairs. What I have seen would curl you toes. Say a little prayer for the guys that are hurt, they could use all the help they can get.