SPRINGFIELD, Va. — An active gas leak in Springfield, Virginia injured multiple workers and damaged several cars in the area. Utility crews using a backhoe caused a gas line to explode and catch fire on the 8500 block of Hooes Road.
Around 12:31 p.m. the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services were sent to Hooes Road for reports of an explosion. A Washington Gas crew had been excavating an underground gas line in the street when the line caught fire and exploded.
"The fire was being fed from a free-flowing, six-inch gas line," Fairfax County Fire Department said in a statement.
Sky9 was on the scene shortly after 1 p.m., showing fire crews battling 50-70-foot flames. The fire spread to two cars and four houses, which were all evacuated for 24 hours, according to officials on the scene.
Three Washington Gas employees were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Fairfax County Fire & Rescue. A fourth worker was evaluated at the scene but declined treatment. One firefighter sustained a minor injury that was treated at the scene.
Officials have determined the fire was an accident and the damages have been estimated at approximately $250,000.
Hooes Road at Fairfax County Parkway was temporarily closed to traffic and police encouraged the public to stay away from the scene.
This is a developing story and WUSA9 will update as more information becomes available.