Later on Thursday morning, county officials issued an order for a brief evacuation of almost the entire town of Middleton, Idaho, in response to a gas pipeline detonation.
The Associated Press reported that a worker using an excavator to rupture a 22-inch pipeline issued an evacuation order for the hamlet of approximately 10,600 residents located 33 miles west of Boise.
Canyon County authorities declared the evacuation in a message published on X, a social media platform that was previously Twitter, at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time.
****EVACUATION NOTICE IN MIDDLETON***
Our Sheriff's Office is currently working to evacuate anyone within a 4-mile radius of Purple Sage Rd. and Duff Ln. in Middleton due to a gas line explosion that occurred near the intersection a short time ago.— Canyon County (@CanyonCo) October 12, 2023
A follow-up post stated that the gas line was disconnected within twenty minutes, and individuals within a four-mile evacuation zone were instructed to remain in position while awaiting further information.
The county declared the area secure and absolved all individuals of any obligations pertaining to the emergency shortly after 4:00 p.m.
“The gas company is taking over the investigation,” the announcement said.
***FINAL UPDATE ON GAS EXPLOSION***
All evacuation orders and shelter in place orders have been lifted. All police and fire units have been cleared. It is safe to return to the area of Purple Sage Rd and Duff Ln. The gas company is taking over the investigation.
— Canyon County (@CanyonCo) October 12, 2023
The employee who caused the line to rupture received minimal medical attention at a nearby hospital, as per reports.
In contrast, the gas company maintained its position that no explosion had occurred, notwithstanding social media posts from nearby inhabitants attesting to the sound of a detonation followed by the sound of “low-flying jets.”
“There was no ignition, fire, or explosion associated with this incident and the cause is under investigation,” the Williams Companies, a natural gas distributor that owns the pipeline, told the AP.
However, Chief David Jones of the Middleton Fire Department Battalion told the AP, “It was a pretty substantial explosion just due to the pressure in that line.”
“The explosion was felt,” Jones added, “and the gas flow could be felt about a mile away.”
The KBOI released images depicting the “remains of an excavator that collided with a gas line” and stated that a segment of the ruptured pipeline was discovered approximately a quarter mile from the accident site.