East Boston gas surge

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox event

| title = East Boston gas surge

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| date = {{start date and age|1983|09|23}}

| location = East Boston, Massachusetts, United States

| type = Fires

| cause = Over-pressurized gas transmission lines

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The East Boston gas surge was a series of fires and at least one explosion that took place early on the morning of September 23, 1983. An underground control that regulated the flow of natural gas failed, causing a surge of the fuel into the neighborhood of East Boston, Massachusetts.{{Cite web|date=September 24, 1983|title=Around the Nation: Jump in Gas Pressure Brings Boston Fires|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1983/09/24/187785.html?pageNumber=8|access-date=2021-10-26|website=New York Times|language=en}}

The sudden swell of gas rushed into businesses and residences, increasing the size of pilot lights to as much as a foot high. A number of fires started as a result and the second floor of one building in the Central Square area exploded.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19830924&id=Q5ETAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KgYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3883,4575082|title=Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=2020-03-04}}

Between 3:15 am and 8:00 am, 9-1-1 operators received approximately 170 calls reporting fires and the smell of gas. People rushed into the streets, and McClellan Highway and the Callahan Tunnel were closed to incoming traffic with the exception of emergency vehicles.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1345&dat=19830923&id=M68SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cvkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7009,1650264|title=Spokane Chronicle - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=2018-09-15}}

By mid-morning, the fires had been extinguished and the gas problem was fixed. The Boston Gas Company later said that a broken water main had flooded a gas regulator, causing the surge. There were no reports of injuries or deaths.{{Cite web|url=http://www.celebrateboston.com/disasters/east-boston-gas-explosion.htm|title=East Boston Gas Surge & Explosions, 1983|website=www.celebrateboston.com|access-date=2018-09-15}}