1 Dead as Gas Explosions Rock Mass.

A series of gas explosions caused fires at dozens of homes across three communities in the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts on Thursday, killing a local teen and forcing entire neighborhoods to evacuate.

NBC10 Boston helicopter footage showed many houses smoking or in flames across the region, with a massive response from firefighters and police amid a problem with a gas line that feeds homes in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence.

Officials in Andover said at least three people, including a firefighter, were injured in the town. Lawrence General Hospital also said it was treating 13 victims with fire-related injuries, two of whom were in critical condition. One of the critical patients was transferred to a Boston hospital.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office said 18-year-old Leonel Robson of Lawrence was pronounced dead at Massachusetts General Hospital around 8:30 p.m. He was inside a car near 35 Chickering Road in Lawrence when a chimney from a house explosion fell on the vehicle.

Andover officials said they struck 10 alarms, their maximum fire response, and extinguished 38 fires across town. More than 50 fire vehicles and 10 ambulances responded.

"I've been in the fire service for almost 39 years and I've never seen anything like this in my entire career," Andover Fire Chief Michael Mansfield said. "It looked like Armageddon. Billows of smoke coming from Lawrence behind me, I could see plumes of smoke in front of me from Andover. It just looked like an absolute war zone. It's something I've never experienced in my fire service career and I hope I never experience it again."

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

Twelve to 14 fires were reported in North Andover, Town Manager Andrew Maylor said.

Massachusetts State Police said they have confirmed responses to over 70 different addresses in the three communities for fires, explosions or investigations, and said the number will grow. They said troopers were assisting with scene security and traffic control after "multiple suspected gas explosions and structure fires."

One home could be seen burning to the ground with no firefighters in sight as emergency crews scrambled to respond to the various scenes.

Matthew Van Dyke of Lawrence said he saw four kids coming out of one building. All of them appeared to be injured.

Andover quickly issued an evacuation advisory for all residents and businesses. Anyone who knows how to safely turn off the gas service in their home or building was advised to do so. Many areas of North Andover and Lawrence were also evacuated.

State police urged anyone in the three towns with Columbia Gas service to evacuate on Thursday afternoon, snarling traffic and causing widespread confusion as residents and local officials struggled to understand what was happening.

Red Cross reception centers have been set up for those affected by the explosions at the Parthum School at 255 East Haverhill St. in Lawrence, the Arlington Street School at 150 Arlington St. in Lawrence, the field house at North Andover High School at 430 Osgood St. and the Cormier Youth Center at 40 Whittier Court in Andover. As of 9 p.m., more than 100 people had checked in at North Andover High School.

Officials from all three towns said there is no timeframe yet for when residents could be allowed to return to their homes.

"This is still a very active scene," Gov. Charlie Baker 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 and what needs to be done to deal with that."

Multiple Fires Reported After Gas Main Explosion

Emergency crews responded to reports of multiple explosions and fires in Lawrence and North Andover, Massachusetts on Thursday afternoon. (Published 5 hours ago)

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.

Nam says he ran downstairs and saw that his boiler was on fire. He says he quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out.

Minutes later, Nam says he heard a loud boom come 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 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."

RAW VIDEO: 20+ Homes Impacted by Explosions, Fires

Emergency crews responded to reports of gas-related multiple explosions and fires in Lawrence and North Andover, Massachusetts, on Thursday afternoon. (Published 6 hours ago)

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.

North Andover Selectman Phil Decologero said his entire neighborhood gathered in the street, afraid to enter their homes.

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

Many businesses closed as a precaution due to the fires, but McAloon's Liquors in North Andover was still open as of 8 p.m. Owner Bill Buco said he was staying open until police told him to close. There were long lines for essentials like water.

"My customers need service. They need water, they need milk, they need bread," he said.

North Andover, Andover and Lawrence schools announced that they will be closed on Friday due to the ongoing gas issues. Lawrence courts will also be closed.

NBC10 Boston Sky Ranger Over Merrimack Valley Disaster

NBC10 Boston Sky Ranger over the Merrimack Valley, where gas-related explosions caused damage and fires throughout the region. (Published 3 hours ago)

Merrimac College in North Andover cancelled classes for the night and temporarily asked students to evacuate as a precaution while they turned the gas off. No incidents were reported on campus.

All off-ramps on Interstate 495 from exits 41 through 45 were shut down. On ramps remained open to allow for evacuations. Interstate 93 northbound and southbound Exit 45 off ramps to River Road were also closed.

The MBTA also suspended service on the Haverhill line north of North Wilmington Station due to the emergency. For passengers seeking to go beyond North Wilmington, commuter rail will provide service to Anderson-Woburn Station. Alternative bus service from Anderson-Woburn will be provided when emergency officials re-open road access.

The Amtrak Downeaster also canceled several trains due to the ongoing fire department activity in the area.

Baker said state and local police will be patrolling the three communities all night and will be stationed at intersections where the traffic lights are impacted by power outages.

"My heart goes out to the families in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover who are trying to pick up the pieces after dozens of fires & gas explosions in the area," U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a tweet Thursday. "Grateful to all our first responders working to help. Massachusetts is strong - we will recover & rebuild."

Lawrence Home Leveled Amid Multiple Fires, Explosions

A home on Chickering Road in Lawrence, Mass. was leveled Thursday as a gas line incident unfolded. The street has been closed off. There are multiple fires at homes in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover (Published 3 hours ago)

"The @CityOfBoston is here for the people of Andover, North Andover, and Lawrence tonight," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh tweeted. "I thank all of our first responders, including @BostonFire & @bostonpolice who are working hard with many others to keep everyone safe."

The state fire marshal's office sent multiple fire investigators to the Lawrence/North Andover area. State police fire investigators, detectives and crime scene personnel also responded. The FBI said it is aware of the situation and is coordinating with state and local partners.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency staff are also on scene, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a team to the area on Friday morning.

MEMA blamed the fires on gas lines that had become over-pressurized, but officials who responded to the area were still investigating the cause.

State police said it is "far too early" to speculate on the cause. They said a joint investigation will be conducted once the situation has been stabilized.

Columbia Gas issued a statement Thursday night saying they were responding to reports of multiple fires in the area.

Explosion in Massachusetts Causes Dozens of Home Fires

Over 70 homes in Lawrence, Massachusetts went up in flames following an explosion from a gas line. It is believed that the explosion was caused by an overpressurized gas line. (Published 2 hours ago)

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by today's incident," the company said in a statement posted on its website. "The first priority for our crews at the scene is to ensure the safety of our customers and the community by supporting first responders and completing safety checks on our system and in the surrounding area."