Pipeline Explodes East Of Portland

PORTLAND, - A natural-gas pipeline exploded on the Washington state side of the Columbia River about 32 miles east of Portland last night, sending flames shooting into the winter sky that created an orange glow seen as far away as Oregon City, authorities said.

There were no reports of injuries and no homes were threatened in the nearby town of North Bonneville, Skamania County, said Mike Connelly, spokesman for the Hood River County sheriff's office on the Oregon side of the river.

"We've got some equipment rolling out of Cascade Locks (Ore.) and the rest of us are on standby," Connelly said. "It's burning pretty brightly. It's an impressive sight."

The gas line is operated by Northwest Pipeline of Salt Lake City, according to Gregg Kantor, spokesman for Northwest Natural, a Portland-based company that buys some of its gas from the pipeline.

Kantor said the line was one of two main natural-gas lines from Canada, but it would not affect Oregon supplies.

"At this point we're in good shape," Kantor said. "This shouldn't impact us."

Last year, breaks in a 26-inch-diameter, 260-mile main line caused explosions and fires Feb. 8 near Everson, Whatcom County, close to the Canadian border, and 200 miles south on Feb. 9, near Kalama, Cowlitz County, along the Columbia River. No one was injured in either blast.

Independent tests confirmed that land movement triggered by heavy rainfall was the most likely cause of the ruptures last February. The metallurgical tests by Microalloying International of San Antonio, Texas, substantiated initial findings by the U.S. Transportation Department's Office of Pipeline Safety.