Energy Transfer Gas operations on hold after gas line explosion in Butler County

PARKER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — For roughly ten years, Energy Transfer Gas plant has operated in Northern Butler County. On Wednesday morning, residents told Channel 11 they saw flames shooting out of pipes near the entrance.

“It was around 9 o’clock and it just sounded like a huge wind coming down thru the land and I looked out the window and there were no trees moving,” said Rhonda Alworth who lives nearby.

Those sounds were coming from a quarter of a mile away at the plant. Before Alworth realized it, pictures were falling from the walls as she heard a huge boom.

“I hollered at my husband and I said I think we need to leave and he was like where are we going to go. He looked outside the window and we could see the fire and smoke and everything,” Alworth said.

That fire quickly went out near the entrance of the facility, but firefighters told Channel 11 it left about a hundred square foot grass area burned.

“Initially we were told it was a well explosion, we got out here and said it was actually in the compressor station so they were doing routine maintenance and it flashed,” said David Blair who’s the Assistant Fire Chief at Bruin Fire Rescue.

While some workers were nearby, Energy Transfer said no one was injured and there is no timeline on when operations will restart.

“We will go in cool down the areas. Once the fire actually burns out in the lines and there are grassy areas we need to attend to,” Blair said.

Blair said it sounded worse than it was, but that’s why the departments train to be prepared no matter what.

“We come out here once a year usually and have a training with them so we know our processes when we get here,” Blair said.

Firefighters said hazmat crews were brought in as an extra precaution, but in the end were not needed.

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