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WILMINGTON, N.C. — Four firefighters were injured in an explosion caused by a gas line rupture at a Wilmington veterinary clinic late Tuesday morning, authorities said.
A car went off the road and hit gas lines into the building housing the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center just after 11 a.m., the Wilmington Fire Department said. The driver ran from the scene but was later arrested.
The clinic was under construction and set to host an open house and ribbon cutting Sept. 6, according to a Facebook post. Mayor Bill Saffo and other city council members were expected to attend. 
No construction workers were in the building because a crew member alerted others to evacuate after the crash, Eastern Carolina Veterinary said Wednesday.
But when firefighters went inside to make sure the building was clear, the explosion injured three of them, the fire department said. One suffered severe burns to the hands and arms, the fire department said, and the other two had injuries that were not life-threatening.
Another firefighter suffered non-life-threatening injuries going into the building after the explosion.
The firefighter who suffered second- and third-degree burns to his hands and arms was transferred to the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill and was set to undergo surgery Wednesday. The other three were treated and released from Novant Medical Center.
The fire was under control at about 2 p.m. and the gas line was secured, firefighters said.
Veterinary clinic officials on Tuesday afternoon confirmed that staff and construction workers were accounted for and safe. No pets were in the building, they said.   
The driver of the vehicle that hit the building, Jason Lee Beach of Wilmington, fled the crash but was arrested Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. Beach is facing five charges related to the explosion.
Police said at a news conference that impairment was suspected and that the N.C. State Highway Patrol was helping in that investigation. 
Much of New Centre Drive was closed as firefighters battled the blaze, and the public was urged to avoid the area. Debris from the blast littered the street Tuesday afternoon.
The fire is under investigation.

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