Gas-line fire raises alarm in Needham

(Correction: Because of a reporting error, a story in Saturday's City & Region section about a gas line fire in Needham incorrectly stated the time that nearby Pollard Middle School students were released because of the fire. They were released after their normal 2:10 p.m. release time.)

NEEDHAM -- An NStar worker was injured and officials evacuated 45 to 50 homes after a section of natural gas line caught fire yesterday afternoon, shooting a plume of fire up to 50 feet in the air.

The worker was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital with minor burns and was expected to be released within 24 hours, said NStar spokeswoman Caroline Allen.

The fire occurred as the worker and two others, who were farther away from the leak, were doing routine maintenance and repairs to a section of pipe at the intersection of Webster Street and Harris Avenue, said Allen. She said it was unclear why the gas ignited. The fire was extinguished within minutes by firefighters.

NStar cut off gas supplies to 25 customers in the immediate area in order to put out the blaze. Allen said workers would be going door to door yesterday evening to restore service and pilot lights.

Surrounding streets were closed to traffic and to pedestrians for several hours, and pupils at nearby Pollard Middle School were sent home early. Residents were allowed to return to their homes by 6 p.m.

Mary Davis, whose house is next to the site, was in her yard bringing in garbage cans when the line ignited.

''I heard a sound like gravel pouring. And there was a big flame. . . . They told me to get out of the area," Davis said. ''My home was shaking a little bit."

Davis said she spent the hours after the accident driving around with her two sons, Clive, 6, and Gavin, 11, and the family dog. Most of their neighbors were either evacuated or still at work, Davis said.

Ed Scheideler, who lives down the street, said he heard a loud whack, followed by a rumble, and went outside to see a flame ''like a big Bunsen burner."

The Department of Telecommunications and Energy is investigating.