Natural Gas Line Fire in Salem, Big Flames, No Injuries

Fortunately, nobody was hurt.

Photos and video by Jerry Freeman Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Construction equipment was apparently behind the rupturing of a natural gas line in Salem Tuesday night.

It happened around 9:30 p.m. near the Salem Paint Company, at 702 High Street NE, which was not involved in the construction incident.

Multiple Salem fire units responded and a number of people were kept out of the area while crews went about the job of repairing the line.

The flames were visible from some distance as the video below shows. Leaping from the hole the machine had been digging, flames seemed unrelenting.

The unmistakable sound of the ruptured gas line was equally hard for anyone in the area to miss.

We don't have a full rundown on the exact circumstances, but we're told an excavator struck the gas line which the operator was apparently unaware of.

Fortunately, according to a Salem Fire Battalion Chief Kevin Stephenson, nobody was hurt in the potentially dangerous incident.

Jerry Freeman is part of a new generation of dedicated news photographers who entered the Internet news industry as a second career. He shares in common with many people who fulfilled their life dream of becoming a visual journalist. Joining the Navy at an early age, and the Oregon Army Guard a few years later, Jerry has a wide range of life experiences. He describes himself as “a truck driver with a new found passion to bear witness to the world’s events.”

Teaming up with Salem-News.com he embarked on a new career as a video news photographer and reporter. Jerry's quick exhibition of natural talent and ability to shoot breaking news led to his becoming a published member of the Salem-News.com team.