DOUGLAS - A 16-inch natural gas pipeline ruptured around 9:30 a.m. Monday north of Douglas, resulting in an intense fire that shot flames high into the air before the blaze was brought under control.

Law enforcement officials shut down traffic on State Highway 59 for about an hour while emergency responders closed off the gas line, Converse County Sheriff Clint Becker said. No injuries were reported.

The gas ignited and burned hot enough that deputies could feel the heat through the windows of their trucks, Becker said. Once the line was closed off, the fire spewed volumes of thick, black smoke into the sky.

People who responded to the blaze showed cell phone images of flames reaching perhaps 100 feet into the air.

The line is located about 100 feet from Highway 59 and ruptured at a point about 14 miles north of Douglas. Denver-based line owner DCP Midstream Partners has sent crews to investigate the cause of the rupture, said Karen Taylor, director of investor and media relations. The investigation could take weeks, she cautioned, but should help the company prevent future incidents.

The gas flows into a Kinder Morgan processing plant near Douglas. Taylor said repairs could be made within the next several days. She said the lost gas volume is believed to be "minimal or inconsequential" to the company.

The fire ignited a small prairie blaze, which the Douglas Volunteer Fire Department extinguished. No homes were in the vicinity.

The highway was reopened by 11 a.m.

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