JESSIEVILLE, Ark. — Garland County Emergency Management said a pipeline ruptured along Highway 298, creating an explosion and igniting a fire in Jessieville on Wednesday.
The fire, which reached a height of 200-300 feet, started around 5 p.m. Central and burned for about five hours. Energy Transfer, the company that owns the pipelines, said one of the pipelines "experienced a release of natural gas," causing the explosion of two gas lines.
"Whenever it went off, I really didn't know what it was," Adam Merriott said on the explosion. "At first, I was like, 'Did they drop a bomb or what?' because it was really just that loud. There were vibrations everywhere."
According to the Garland County Sheriff's Office, the fire burned two acres of land and was eventually contained by the fire department at the pipeline transfer station.
"We have had a pipeline rupture here before," Garland County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer John Schroeder said. "I don't know exactly when it was, but it was in this area on the other side of the highway, so this has happened before, but they're fairly rare."
The Garland County Sheriff's Office said only one home in the 1400 block of Highway 298 suffered minimal damage with no reported deaths or injuries.
Jessieville High School officials confirmed that the school district's safe room between the sports arena and the back of the elementary school was used for people to seek shelter during the emergency.
The highway was briefly closed due to the fire and has since re-opened. Sheriffs said it is safe for everyone to return home.
We have contacted Energy Transfer, but they do not know how the natural gas became exposed at this time.
