"Last night dozens of homes caught on fire in three different towns north of Boston. One person killed, a dozen others injured," CNN's Alisyn Camerota said, opening the segment reported by Athena Jones.
One person was killed and at least 10 people were injured, one of them a firefighter who is in critical condition. Thousands were forced to evacuate.
"I have been in the fire service for 39 years, and I have never seen anything like this in my entire career. It looked like Armageddon. It really did," one fire chief said.
"The issue with gas lines may have prompted the explosions which began shortly before 5 p.m. Loud booms ringing out as fires erupted without warning. Firefighters and rescue workers racing to respond, answering more than 70 reports of fires, explosions and gas odors as the night pressed on," the CNN reporter said.
Columbia Gas was still working to shut off gas to the area.
They were in the process of upgrading natural gas lines, including the neighborhoods impacted. It seems most likely this disaster is related to that. But this incident is also a reminder of just how vulnerable -- and crucial -- our utility grid is.
