COLUMBUS (AP) – Columbus fire officials say two workers are being treated for burns after an underground natural gas line was struck by a backhoe and caught fire.

Fire Battalion Chief Doug Smith says the 37-year-old man and 40-year-old man received first- and second-degree burns on the arms, chest, neck and face. He says they were taken to Ohio State University Medical Center in stable condition Friday morning.

Smith says when the line was hit around 9:15 a.m. it apparently created a spark and the gas immediately ignited.

A nearby BP gasoline station was evacuated as a precaution while firefighters allowed the fire to burn itself out.