Eighteen people were hurt when a natural gas leak triggered an explosion that completely leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., and damaged 12 other buildings, officials said Friday.

The blast blew out all windows in a three-block radius, and prompted emergency workers to evacuate a six-story apartment building that was buckling.

People were knocked off their feet by the blast, NBC affiliate WWLP-TV reported.

Those injured in the blast included nine firefighters, four gas company employees, two police officers,  one water and sewage employee and two civilians.

Two hospitals treated the injured people, though none were in critical condition, officials said.

"It really was a miracle on Worthington Street that no one was killed," Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray told reporters at a news  conference in Springfield Friday night.

The blast, which leveled the Scores Gentlemen's Club, was was heard for miles.

Fire Marshall Joe Conan told reporters at the press conference that the call reporting a strong gas odor came in at 4:20 p.m., and the explosion took place at 5:25, about 15 minutes after the gas was shut off.

The club had been evacuated by the time gas leak ignited. 

A dancer at the club told The Springfield Republican that she was on stage when the evacuation order came.

While she was gathering her clothes, she said, the manager came up and told everyone, "I don’t care if you’re (expletive) naked or not, get out."

Don Treeger / Springfield Republican via AP

Gas company workers stand where a building was leveled by an explosion in downtown Springfield, Mass., on Friday.

"I feel lucky we got out," said the dancer, identified only as Debbie. She said all her work clothes were lost.

At a restaurant two blocks away, waitress Stephanie Simmons said the blast shocked customers.

"It rocked us so hard the windows smashed," she told The Springfield Republican. "It felt like an earthquake or a large explosion. There was pretty much chaos."

Officials at the news conference said that teams of inspectors would be sent to look at damaged buildings on Saturday, and there would likely be controlled demolition of those that were badly damaged to make the scene safe.

Meantime, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency was assisting the city to provide shelter for people displaced by the explosion, Lt. Gov. Murray told reporters at the press conference. 

Springfield is the largest city in western Massachusetts with a population of about 150,000.

NBC News' Kari Huus and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Faced with a spike in residential burglaries, one Missouri sheriff has pulled out an unusual crime-fighting weapon -- blinking electronic signs.

"We wanted to let the criminals know that everyone was watching out for them and talking about them in their neighborhoods," Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott told msnbc.com on Wednesday. "We wanted the bad guys to know they had no business around here."

Arnott said deputies last week staked out three areas hit hard in this rural town of 90,000 by thefts and positioned electronic signs that flashed "Sheriff's Crime Alert. Burglaries/Thefts on the rise. Report suspicious activity."

Arnott said the signs have sparked some controversy.

"The ones who have complained have been real estate agents and homeowners who are trying to sell their homes," Arnott told msnbc.com. "It was reminders to all that you were living in an area with a high crime rate.”

Arnott said Greene County has been hit hard this year by home and vehicle burglaries. For example, 190 burglaries were reported in the last three months of 2011 -- a 32 percent jump from the same period in 2010, he said.

“We needed to address this problem and we couldn't attack the problem as efficiently as years past,” he told msnbc.com.

Officers had been handling the growing number of complaints and crimes in the rural county by working overtime, he said. But that had to come to an end, forcing the department -- a team of 41 patrol officers and 20 detectives -- to come up with a creative solution in crime prevention, he said.

Residents who live across the street from one sign shared their mixed feelings over the latest tactics with The Springfield News-Leader in Springfield, Mo., which first reported this story. “If the burglar sees the sign, maybe they will stay away,” Karen Nanninga told the News-Leader.

“It may be a bit overblown,” John Farmer de la Torre, another neighbor, said. “When something really goes bad, what’s gonna happen?”

Arnott said it will take time to see whether the latest crime-fighting tool is working for his force that patrols 670 miles in the rural Missouri county. One law enforcement official said he believes the signs have been successful.

“It’s had an impact,” Capt. David Johnson told The Springfield News-Leader. “We’ve had a number of people call in to report suspicious vehicles. We’ve received some tips and leads from citizens.”

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