Large gas pipeline fire in Pawnee County under investigation

A major fire in Pawnee County caused by a gas pipeline is now under control.

The exact cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but we do know that a gas company was working on a line on Saturday morning when something struck it.

The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call about a possible explosion around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. A video shows the size of the fire.

It occurred in an area north of the Creek County line along East 5800 Road in the Terlton area.

A Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline contractor suffered a minor injury but was treated at the scene and released, authorities said. No other injuries were reported.

The gas company said one house had been evacuated as a precaution, but the flames had not reached any other houses.

The sheriff’s office said the Southern Star is still investigating how the fire started.

“We don’t know what caused the fire. We don’t know if it started as a small fire and then became an explosion. We just don’t know. Reports from the area say they heard a loud bang and then it sounded like an explosion. We can’t confirm that it exploded. We don’t know what caused the initial fire,” said Pawnee County Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Mahoney.

County commissioners closed roads in all directions within about a mile until firefighters got the flames under control.

According to the Southern Star, gas customers in the region will not be affected, but some households are without power because the fire burned down a power line.