Large gas line fire in Shenandoah County leads to traffic delays

SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. — A large gas line explosion in Shenandoah County, Virginia shut down multiple roads, including I-81, Tuesday morning.

According to the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office, the gas line explosion was in the area of Battlefield Road and Copp Road. They also stated that the fire was contained to a single gas line field and no injuries were reported. 

TC Energy said that around 8:40 a.m. they detected a pressure drop on their Columbia Gas Transmission Pipeline located alongside Interstate-81 in Strasburg.

Crews with the Shenandoah County Fire and Rescue responded to the scene to help with containing and extinguishing the fire. The pipeline was shut down while they worked.

I-81 has since been reopened. 

An investigation is underway into the explosion.

Here's the full statement from TC Energy about the explosion:

At approximately 8:41 a.m., EDT, we detected a pressure drop on our Columbia Gas Transmission Pipeline located alongside Interstate 81 in Strasburg, Virginia. We have since been notified of a fire in the vicinity and are working with local authorities to investigate and respond. 

TC Energy’s emergency response procedures were activated upon notification. No injuries have been reported and we are currently assessing the impacts. As a precaution, the pipeline section has been isolated. 

The safety of our people, communities and protection of the environment are our primary focus. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.