‘Safe to return’ to Middleton after gas line explosion, order to shelter in place

MIDDLETON (Idaho Statesman) — The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office asked Middleton residents to shelter in place for over two hours after a gas line exploded.

The Sheriff’s Office briefly asked Middleton residents within a 4-mile radius of the intersection of Purple Sage Road and Duff Lane to evacuate Thursday morning. By around 11:45 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office lifted the evacuation order and instead asked the residents to shelter in place. The gas line was turned off around 11:40 a.m.

The shelter-in-place order was lifted around 1:45 p.m., according to an emergency alert sent to people near Middleton.

“It’s safe to return to the area,” the alert said.

People were also asked to avoid the area of Middleton Road to Lansing Lane and Galloway Road to Foothill Road, according to an emergency alert sent around 1 p.m.

Residents were able to pick up their children from school, according to an additional emergency alert. The alert also asked the public to avoid calling 911 unless someone needed help.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, said part of Idaho 44 west of Star was closed because of the “major” gas leak and asked motorists to avoid the area. By 1:40 p.m. the highway was reopened, according to a follow-up post on X.

“The gas leak near Middleton has been taken care of,” the Ada County Sheriff’s Office said in the post.