India, Jan. 17 -- Two fires were reported near Willow River in Minnesota on Friday following reports of a possible gas pipeline explosion.

The Pine County Sheriff's Office confirmed the explosion reports, saying it received a surge of 911 calls around 1:43 pm on January 16, 2026. The incident was reported in a rural area west of Willow River. Residents at several nearby addresses were asked to evacuate as a precaution.

In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office said, "Several fire departments, EMS, and law enforcement were dispatched and determined it was a larger gas line that was involved. Multiple addresses in proximity to the explosion were asked to evacuate."

"Nothing criminal is suspected at this time. Northern Natural Gas and resp...