Massive gas line fire burns in Orion Township near border of Auburn Hills

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. - A massive gas line fire was ignited in Orion Township near the border of Auburn Hills, officials said.

Authorities said the fire involves a high-pressure gas main. When there's a high-pressure gas main leak, it causes a loud roar that comes out of the gas line, and it normally doesn't burn because there's so much pressure behind the gas that it can't burn through the force and air pressure.

But this time, it actually caught on fire. Gigantic flames lapped up into the air and bowls of flame burned out over time. Fire equipment was scattered everywhere as officials tried to assess the flames.

Officials confirmed it is a Consumers Energy main that caught fire. A spokesperson said they are shutting down the high-pressure line between the two city gates, so the fire will burn itself out. Crews will then be able to start making repairs.

"All I can tell you right now is that we did notice that there was a pressure drop on our natural gas system indicating that there was an issue somewhere," said Debra Dodd, of Consumers Energy. "We do have crews on site, but obviously with the amount of the flames, we can't get very near right now. Our first priority is to keep the public and our customers safe."

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office said some 911 services are down as a result of the fire.

Officials are asking residents to avoid the area until the fire is out. The fire has died down, but there are still huge flames. There is bumper-to-bumper traffic congesting the nearby roads, and police have shut down the area.

"We have alarms on our system that indicate if pressure drops below a certain point, and that's what we noticed earlier tonight," Dodd said. "Some crews are there, and additional crews are coming."