At least one person has been injured in a gas line explosion in Morgan County's Homer Township.
According to a release from the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, a woman was found by authorities walking down the road away from the fire, carrying her dog. She was transported to an area hospital. Her name and condition were not immediately available.
The source of the blast is a ruptured, 25-inch, high-pressure natural gas transmission line, belonging to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. Initial reports that it was a Texas Eastern line were incorrect.
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The explosion occurred around 8:30 a.m. in the southwest corner of Homer Township on Taylor Road and was heard by people more than 40 miles away, including some Washington County residents.
The resulting fire was reported under control at 10:04 a.m.
The initial release said at least three structures had been destroyed, but a later communication from the sheriff's office identified two residences that had sustained "significant" damage - 9500 Taylor Road and 9436 Taylor Road in Glouster.
The Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Department has assumed incident command at the scene, with the Chesterhill Volunteer Fire Department assisting. The sheriff's office has contacted BCI, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Morgan County EMA, the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Athens County Sheriff's Office.
At 10 a.m. the Sheriff's office was notified that the gas company has closed the line on both sides of the rupture.
