The Kenai Fire Department says it is battling three structure fires on Lilac Lane this morning, an apparent escalation from the initial single fire.
"Earlier this morning a second home exploded on Lilac Lane as utility crews continue to isolate the gas leaks," the department posted to its official Facebook page at about 8:10 a.m.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Southcentral Alaska early Sunday, striking at 1:30 a.m. in Pedro Bay,
according the U.S. Geological Survey.The Alaska Earthquake Center
reported the magnitude as 6.8.
The quake -- centered about 162 miles southwest of Anchorage -- left thousands of people without power overnight. As many as 22 Kenai-area homes were evacuated following an apparent gas leak, said Kenai Police Chief Gus Sandahl.
Police in Anchorage and Kenai report no known injuries or major damage.
The Kenai gas leak was discovered on Lilac Lane following a fire that was quickly extinguished, Sandahl said. "There was a strong smell of gas in that subdivision. And then the fire department and police department began evacuating the neighborhood."
Earthquake rips K-Beach Road
An armory is being used as a temporary shelter for about 20 people, he said. In addition to Lilac Lane, a few nearby homes were evacuated on Cook Inlet View Drive.
Kenai police said residents can call the shelter at 395-4901 or call the police department at 283-7879 to check on the status of the leaks. Enstar has joined firefighters at the scene, working to locate and contain the ruptures.
The shaker ripped a section of Kalifornsky Beach (K-Beach) Road at Mile 1, making the road impassable, said Brad Nelson, a health and safety officer with Central Emergency Services. The road connects Kasilof and Soldotna. The damage is at the Kasilof end, he said.
The Alaska Earthquake Center recorded some 30 aftershocks, including a magnitude 4.3 quake that hit at 3:37 a.m.
"Everything was flying off the shelves," said Bob Candopolous of Seward. "It was tough to get to the front door to get out of the house."
No tsunamis were expected as a result of the quake.