At least one person was killed and more than 20 were injured in Massachusetts Thursday after a series of gas explosions tore through several communities outside Boston, officials said.

Leonel Rondon, 18, was inside his car when a chimney from a house explosion fell on his vehicle, the Essex County District Attorney’s office said. Rondon was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

At least 13 patients were taken to Lawrence General Hospital as a result of the gas fires. The hospital said one critical patient was taken to a trauma center, while the other injuries ranged from minor smoke inhalation to blast trauma.

Later, FOX station Boston 25 reported that more than 20 people had been injured.

Preliminary numbers estimate that between 60 and 100 homes in the Merrimack Valley caught fire in the towns of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, Methuen Police Chief Joseph Soloman said.

Massachusetts State Police (MSP) confirmed on Twitter that at least 70 locations were affected by fires, explosions and "investigations of gas odor."

Residents in the aforementioned towns that are serviced by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts "should evacuate their homes immediately if they have not already done so," police advised. Gas service was shut down by the company to roughly 8,000 customers.

"Numerous evacuations of neighborhoods where there are gas odors are underway," MSP tweeted. Columbia Gas was working to depressurize its gas lines, which "will take some time," while National Grid cut electricity to the three towns "to limit spark-started fires."

Solomon — who noted there were no fires in Methuen but the town's first responders aided areas in need — said that in Lawrence alone, there were roughly 20 to 25 homes on fire. He said there were so many fires "you can't even see the sky."

In the town of Andover, firefighters responded to 38 fires total — all of which have been extinguished. "At peak, 18 fires were burning at the same time," city police said.

Local officials said at least one firefighter and two civilians were injured in the "gas-related fires."

The North Andover Police Department advised residents with gas service in their homes or businesses to "please exit the building until further notice."

Some residents were evacuated from their homes to senior centers and middle schools as officials investigated the situation, police said.

Merrimack College, which is located in North Andover, advised that "in an over abundance of caution," students and faculty needed to evacuate all buildings on campus, but later said all buildings were "safe for re-entry."

Gov. Charlie Baker's office said the governor was "actively monitoring the situations in the Merrimack Valley and is communicating with first responders and public safety officials."

The Columbia Gas company announced earlier Thursday that it would be upgrading gas lines in neighborhoods across the state, including the area where the explosions happened. It was not clear whether work was happening there Thursday, and a spokeswoman did not immediately comment.

Fox News' Stephen Sorace and Andrew Fone and the Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>One person died and about a dozen others were injured in Massachusetts on Thursday as a series of gas-related fires and explosions tore through several communities, authorities said.

Eighteen-year-old Leonel Rondon was killed and at least 12 others were injured in Northern Massachusetts as fires and explosions tore the area, damaging at least two dozen homes and businesses, according to local authorities.

Rondon, a resident of Lawrence, was killed after one of the explosions sent a chimney crashing onto his car, Massachusetts State Police said.

There had been at least three explosions and as many as 80 fires reported as of late Thursday night, authorities said, citing a suspected gas line leak as the cause.

Many residents, including those located in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, were forced to evacuate.

At least 30 homes and businesses caught fire in Andover, and active fires were reported in Lawrence as of early Friday morning, several hours after initial reports surfaced, fire officials said.

“Our city has had a rough day today,” the city of Lawrence said in a statement early Friday morning. “We grieve for the loss ... and continue to support first responders."

MSP Fusion Center has current updated tally of responses to fires/explosions/investigations of gas odor at 70. Spread over wide swath of south #Lawrence and northern part of #NorthAndover with several others across Merrimack River in north Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/a7kBYaWFrJ — Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) September 13, 2018

The Massachusetts State Police Watch Center said it responded to explosions, fires and other gas-related reports at least 70 different addresses. The state’s governor said about 8,000 homes were affected.

Three victims in Andover included included a firefighter and two civilians, authorities said.

Evacuations were taking place in multiple neighborhoods where residents smelled gas, according to state police. Those who live south of the Merrimack River were told to evacuate, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera said at a press conference Thursday night.

Authorities also warned residents in the area who are served by Columbia Gas to "evacuate their homes immediately" as gas lines are being depressurized by the company.

Aerial footage taken by ABC Boston affiliate WCVB showed firefighters battling flames in a residential neighborhood that sent thick plumes of smoke into the air.

WCVB/AP

Residents in Andover were evacuated to a local senior center, while residents in North Andover were directed to a nearby middle school.</s>(CNN) A man was killed as a series of explosions and fires rocked nearly 40 homes and businesses in three Massachusetts towns on Thursday, according to the Essex County District Attorney's office.

Leonel Rondon, 18, was inside a car in Lawrence, Massachusetts, when a chimney fell on the vehicle, said Carrie Kimball-Monahan, a spokeswoman with the Essex County District Attorney's office said.

He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later died.

Authorities said that an issue with gas service may have prompted several explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover late Thursday afternoon, leaving at least 10 people injured.

The fires stretched across dozens of blocks, Massachusetts State Police said. Not all gas had been shut off by Thursday evening and some of the lines were overpressurized, officials said.

Read More</s>LAWRENCE, Mass. –Nearly 40 homes and businesses in three Massachusetts towns on Thursday suffered explosions or fires that may have resulted from an issue with gas service, officials said.

Suspected explosions have set structures on fire across dozens of blocks and forced evacuations in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts State Police said.

Five patients were in unknown condition at Lawrence General Hospital, according to spokeswoman Jill Halsey.

A middle school in North Andover and a senior center in Andover were set up for evacuees, according to the agency. Andover officials asked residents and businesses in gas-serviced neighborhoods to evacuate.

State police confirmed responding to 17 addresses for fire, explosion or investigation. Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera estimated there are between 20 and 25 fires across the city, according to CNN affiliate WCVB.

“Incidents are across a wide swath of dozens of blocks across Lawrence and North Andover,” the state police said via Twitter.

Residents of the towns of Lawrence, North Andover and Andover who have service from Columbia Gas “should evacuate their homes immediately,” state police said.

Gas lines were being depressurized by the company.

The state police some neighborhoods were evacuated because of gas odors.

There was no immediate information available about the extent of the damage.

“Far too early to speculate on cause” of the explosions, authorities said.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.</s>It is believed the explosions have been caused by gas leaks

Police say they are dealing with explosions or fires in 39 locations.

No injuries have been officially reported.

However one person has been reported dead by local media.

Four more have been confirmed as injured.

Over 60 properties are now on fire.

According to Methuen Police Chief Joseph Soloman there are currently 20 fires burning in Andover, 20-25 in Lawrence and 20-25 in North Andover.

Residents of all three towns who use Columbia Gas have been told to leave their houses immediately as has anyone else who smells gas.

Columbia Gas is currently working to depressurise its gas lines but this will take some time.

Streets near the explosions are also being evacuated.

Power has now been shut off to all of Andover, Lawrence and North Andover.

It is believed the explosions have been caused by gas leaks.

Massachusetts State Police released a statement saying: “Incidents are across a wide swath of dozens of blocks across Lawrence and North Andover.

“Numerous evacuations of neighbourhoods where there are gas orders are underway.

“Far too early to speculate on cause.

“Joint investigation will be conducted when situation is stabilised.”

Police Chief Joseph Solomon claimed there are so many fires “you can’t even see the sky”.

The Mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, has said the explosions were caused by “over-pressured gas valves.”

Merrimack College, a private Catholic school in North Andover, has instructed its staff and students to evacuate “immediately”.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has released a statement saying: “Governor Baker is actively monitoring the situations in the Merrimack Valley and is communicating with first responders and public safety officials.

“The administration urges residents to heed instructions from local officials for important public safety announcements, including evacuations and suspending gas usage.”</s>WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
• Dozens of explosions and fires are affecting four towns north of Boston, Massachusetts
• Evacuation orders are in place for gas run homes in Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Merrimack River

AT LEAST 39 gas explosions across a cluster of towns north of Boston have destroyed at least one home, set a number of others on fire and sent residents fleeing in panic.

A natural gas issue is being blamed and homes serviced by Columbia Gas have been told to evacuate and turn off their gas supply.

Affected towns include Andover, North Andover and Lawrence - where evacuation orders are now in place.

Massachusetts State Police confirmed they were investigating 70 cases of fire, explosion or gas related incidents between South Lawrence, North Andover and Merrimack River areas.

They earlier advised that troopers are working secure areas after "multiple suspected gas explosions."

Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon says there are so many fires "you can't even see the sky". He said "20 to 25 homes were on fire in Lawrence" alone.

WCVB-TV reports there were 39 confirmed fires in the Merrimack Valley.

Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque told The Eagle-Tribune newspaper that he's "never seen anything like this."

Footage filmed from local TV helicopters showed orange flames and a large amount of smoke rising from several buildings.

Emergency crews are rushing to douse the flames and shut down gas and electricity lines to prevent any more damage.

WCVB reported one explosion caused a North Andover home to blow off its foundation. A witness said he saw people trying to crawl out of the debris after the explosion.

Police have urged residents in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover who have gas service from Colombia Gas to evacuate their homes "immediately" if they haven't already.

"Gas lines are currently being depressurised by the company, it will take some time," a Mass State Police tweet read.

They said it was "far too early to speculate" on the cause.

"A joint investigation will be conducted when the situation is stabilised."

Town officials in Andover are advising all residents and businesses to evacuate and to shut off their gas, if they know how to safely. The town of 35,000 residents is about 40 km north of Boston near the New Hampshire border.

In neighboring North Andover, town Selectman Phil Decologero said that his entire neighborhood had gathered in the street, afraid to enter homes.

He warned anyone with concerns to leave their houses and head to North Andover High School, which is being set up as a gathering point.

"It's definitely a scary situation at the moment," he said. "It's pretty severe."

Entire neighborhoods were being evacuated in Lawrence. City Councilor Marc Laplante said authorities were shutting off electric power and urging residents in the Colonial Heights neighborhood to head to Parthum elementary and middle schools.

"People need to get out of this area safely, and it's really difficult because the traffic right now is horrendous," he said.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said staff members were heading to Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, along with state fire investigators.

It's unclear if anyone has been injured.

Local radio station WBZ reports traffic is gridlock due to panicked residents rushing to evacuate.

State Police said all off-ramps exiting into the towns have been closed. On ramps have been left open to allow for evacuation.

Troopers are working to help the traffic flow and keep panicked residents calm.

Columbia Gas is the gas service provider in the area. Police have said the company has shut off 8000 customers as they work to contain the situation.

The company's website said on Thursday they had planned to upgrade natural gas lines in neighbourhoods across Massachusetts. It's not clear where the work was happening today.

More to come.</s>LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — A series of gas explosions one official described as "Armageddon" left at least six people injured and ignited fires in at least 39 homes in three communities north of Boston on Thursday, forcing entire neighborhoods to evacuate as crews scrambled to fight the flames and turn off gas and electric lines to prevent further damage.

Massachusetts State Police urged all residents with homes serviced by Columbia Gas in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover to evacuate, snarling traffic and causing widespread confusion as residents and local officials struggled to understand what was happening.

"It looked like Armageddon, it really did," Andover Fire Chief Michael Mansfield told reporters. "There were billows of smoke coming from Lawrence behind me. I could see pillars of smoke in front of me from the town of Andover."

Gov. Charlie Baker said state and local authorities are investigating but that it could take days or weeks before they turn up answers.

"This is still very much an active scene," he said. "There will be plenty of time later tonight, tomorrow morning and into the next day to do some of the work around determining exactly what happened and why."

Hours after the explosions, the utility's parent company issued a brief statement saying its crews were still performing safety checks in the area.

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by today's incident," Indiana-based NiSource said in a statement. "The first priority for our crews at the scene is to ensure the safety of our customers and the community."

Baker previously said authorities hadn't heard directly from Columbia Gas, but later called the company's response "adequate."

By late Thursday, all of the fires had been doused but many areas remained silent and dark after residents fled and after power companies cut electricity to prevent further fires. Schools in all three communities were canceled for Friday, and some schools were being used as shelters for residents.

Lawrence resident Bruce Razin was among the evacuees standing outside the Colonial Heights neighborhood near the city's high school trying to decide what to do next late Thursday.

Officials had cut power in the area and the streets were pitch black, save for emergency vehicle lights. Razin said he arrived just as residents were being evacuated, and immediately saw the house two doors down was leveled from an explosion.

"I couldn't imagine if that was my house," said Razin, who purchased his home nearly two years ago. "It's total destruction. I'd be completely devastated."

With a backpack filled with personal items he had hastily grabbed, he said he'd head to his mother's home a few towns over for the night.

In Lawrence, a man whose neighborhood was among dozens that erupted in fire says he ran into his basement to find that the room was glowing. Resident Ra Nam says he was in his yard when the smoke detector in his basement went off around 4:30 p.m. EDT Thursday.

When he ran downstairs and saw the boiler on fire, he quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out. Minutes later, Nam said he heard a loud boom from his neighbor's house and the ground shook. Nam said a woman and two kids had made it out of the house but the basement was on fire.

Lawrence General Hospital said it was treating six victims with injuries related to the fires, including two in critical condition.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency blamed the fires on gas lines that had become over-pressurized but said investigators were still examining what happened.

Columbia had announced earlier Thursday that it would be upgrading gas lines in neighborhoods across the state, including the area where the explosions happened. It was not clear whether work was happening there Thursday, and a spokeswoman did not return calls.

Reached by phone, some local officials described scenes of panic as residents rushed to evacuate, many wondering if their homes would be next to erupt in flames. In North Andover, town selectman Phil Decologero said his entire neighborhood had gathered in the street, afraid to enter their homes. Just a few streets down, he said, homes were burning.

"It's definitely a scary situation at the moment," he said. "It's pretty severe."

Aerial footage of the area showed some homes that appeared to be torn apart by blasts. At one, the upper portion of a brick chimney crushed an SUV parked in the driveway.

Soon after the first fires, Lawrence City Councilor Marc Laplante was warning residents in the Colonial Heights neighborhood to evacuate but said traffic had become a problem.

"People need to get out of this area safely," he said at the time. "It's really difficult because the traffic right now is horrendous."

Joseph Solomon, the police chief in nearby Methuen, said 20 to 25 homes were on fire in Lawrence when he responded to help. He said there are so many fires "you can't even see the sky."

The three communities house more than 146,000 residents about 26 miles (40 kilometers) north of Boston, near the New Hampshire border. Lawrence, the largest of them, is a majority Latino city with a population of about 80,000.

"Lawrence is a very resilient community. We're going to get through this together," Mayor Dan Rivera told reporters as emergency lights illuminated smoke in the night sky nearby.

Gas explosions have claimed lives and destroyed property around the U.S. in recent years.

A buildup of natural gas triggered an explosion and fire that killed seven people in apartments in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2016.

In 2014, a gas explosion in New York City's East Harlem neighborhood killed eight people and injured about 50. Consolidated Edison later agreed to pay $153 million to settle charges after the state's Public Service Commission found Con Ed violated state safety regulations. A gas leak had been reported before that blast.

A 2011 natural gas explosion killed five people in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and that state's largest gas utility was fined by regulators who called the company's safety record "downright alarming."

Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Collin Binkley contributed from Boston.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>LAWRENCE, Mass. -- A series of gas explosions left at least four people injured and ignited fires in at least 39 homes in three communities north of Boston on Thursday, forcing entire neighbourhoods to evacuate as crews scrambled to fight fires and turn off gas and electric lines to prevent further damage.

Massachusetts State Police urged all residents with homes serviced by Columbia Gas in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover to evacuate Thursday afternoon, snarling traffic and causing widespread confusion as residents and local officials struggled to understand what was happening.

A man whose neighbourhood was among dozens that erupted in fire says he ran into his basement to find that the room was glowing. Lawrence resident Ra Nam says he was in his yard when the smoke detector in his basement went off around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

When he ran downstairs and saw the boiler on fire, he quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out. Minutes later, Nam said he heard a loud boom from his neighbour's house and the ground shook. Nam said a woman and two kids had made it out of the house but the basement was on fire.

Lawrence General Hospital said it was treating four victims with injuries related to the fires but did not provide details about their conditions.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency blamed the fires on gas lines that had become over-pressurized, but officials who responded to the area were still investigating the cause. State officials said Columbia Gas was working to ease pressure on gas lines following the fires.

Columbia had announced earlier Thursday that it would be upgrading gas lines in neighbourhoods across the state, including the area where the explosions happened. It was not clear whether work was happening there Thursday, and a spokeswoman did not immediately return calls.

Reached by phone, some local officials described scenes of panic as residents rushed to evacuate, many wondering if their homes would be next to erupt in flames. In North Andover, town selectman Phil Decologero said his entire neighbourhood had gathered in the street, afraid to enter their homes. Just a few streets down, he said, homes were burning.

"It's definitely a scary situation at the moment," he said. "It's pretty severe."

Arial footage of the area showed some homes that appeared to be torn apart by blasts. At one, the upper portion of a brick chimney crushed an SUV parked in the driveway.

Schools and senior citizen centres were being opened as gathering points for residents who fled their homes. Lawrence City Councilor Marc Laplante said entire neighbourhoods were being evacuated in the Colonial Heights area, which he represents.

"People need to get out of this area safely," he said at the time. "It's really difficult because the traffic right now is horrendous."

Joseph Solomon, the police chief in nearby Methuen, said 20 to 25 homes were on fire in Lawrence when he responded to help. He said there are so many fires "you can't even see the sky."

Soon after 7 p.m., officials in Andover said all fires in the town had been extinguished. Around the same time, State Police said electricity was being shut off for all residents in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover, where some were still reporting an odour tied to natural gas.

The three communities house more than 146,000 residents about 26 miles (40 kilometres) north of Boston, near the New Hampshire border. Lawrence, the largest of them, is a majority Latino city with a population of about 80,000.

Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Collin Binkley contributed from Boston.</s>LAWRENCE (CBS) – Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera told the city’s undocumented residents they should not be in fear after a series of explosions and fires forced many people in the city to evacuate their homes.

Related: ‘Under No Circumstances’ Should Merrimack Valley Residents Turn Gas Back On

Residents in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover were forced to leave their homes after an over-pressurized gas line triggered more than 60 fires and explosions Thursday afternoon.

“Another question was, what about undocumented people in the City of Lawrence? How are we going to deal with them?” Rivera said during a Friday press conference.

Merrimack Valley Explosions: What We Know

The mayor said undocumented residents should feel safe after leaving their homes.

“I said Lawrence is one community,” Rivera said. “If you live in Lawrence, have a kid in Lawrence public school system, you have an address in Lawrence and you don’t have documents, do not be afraid. Stay in the light. We will support you and your family. This is about getting people who live here safe. This is not about scaring people who live here and making them go somewhere else.”</s>LAWRENCE, Mass. — Violent explosions and billowing fires tore through three towns north of Boston late Thursday afternoon, damaging dozens of houses, forcing thousands of stunned residents to evacuate and plunging much of the region into an eerie darkness.

One person was killed and more than 20 people were injured in the sudden string of explosions caused by gas leaks in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover as blackish-gray clouds of smoke rolled across rooftops and flames shot into the sky.

Leonel Rondon, 18, was killed while he sat in a car in the driveway of a home in Lawrence, authorities said. A chimney fell onto the car, they said, when the home, on Chickering Road, exploded.

Across the region, residents returned from work to find their homes burning and neighbors standing outside with no clear sense of what to do. Firefighters and other emergency workers raced from block to block, urging residents to evacuate to shelters that were hastily being opened. Along some blocks, the smell of gas hung in the air, and cellphones buzzed with evacuation warnings.

“It looked like Armageddon, it really did,” Michael Mansfield, the fire chief of Andover, who has worked as a firefighter for almost four decades, told a CBS station in Boston. “There were billows of smoke coming from Lawrence behind me. I could see plumes of smoke in front of me from the town of Andover. It looked like an absolute war zone.”

The string of explosions, fires and reports of gas odor — at least 70 of them, although officials were still trying to account for all of the damage late Thursday — came suddenly, beginning shortly before 5 p.m., without warning and without an immediate explanation from officials. But natural gas, and the possibility that gas had become overpressurized in a main, was the focus of many local authorities.

Earlier in the day, a local gas company, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, announced that it was “upgrading natural gas lines in neighborhoods across the state.” Late Thursday, the company issued a statement: “Columbia Gas crews are currently responding to reports of multiple fires in Lawrence. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by today’s incident.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Katharine Q. Seelye, Farah Stockman, Jacey Fortin and Monica Davey © 2018 The New York Times
At least 40 homes are damaged and 1 person killed in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, as at least 39 gas explosions level houses. Residents are being evacuated to neighboring towns.