Merrimack Valley Gas Disaster Podcast Debuts

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — WGBH released "The First Minutes of a Disaster" Friday, the first episode in a four-part podcast series called "Fire In The Valley" marking the first anniversary of the Merrimack Valley gas explosions. The explosions damaged or destroyed more than 130 buildings in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence. One person was killed and thousands were displaced from their homes and left without heat or hot water for several months.

"Fire in the Valley draws on the sounds, voices, and stories that WGBH reporters gathered during the night of the disaster and the days, weeks, and months that followed," the PBS outlet said in a news release. "To tell the story as no other news outlet has, WGBH News gathered and analyzed sound from all the major first responders to the incident including Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover police departments, fire departments, and EMTs."

"Fire in the Valley" was written and produced by WGBH News Senior Managing Editor Sean Corcoran. Andrew Massaua mixed the series and Michelle Sweet handled the music and sound design.

Additional episodes will be published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday next week. Those episodes follow WGBH reporters as they cover the disaster and the aftermath of the explosions, and attempt to get to the bottom of questions such as, "Why did this happen?" and "Can it happen again?"