Maryland.- Two people were killed and 12 families were displaced after a home in Maryland exploded today amid reports of a possible gas leak, fire officials said.
Neighbors described feeling and hearing the early morning explosion that damaged several surrounding homes in Bel Air, a town about 50 miles northeast of Baltimore.
Firefighters were called to the area around 6:40 a.m. for a report of a gas leak and a gas smell outside, said Oliver Alkire, a master chief warrant officer with the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Alkire said that as firefighters approached, they began receiving calls reporting that the house had exploded. First responders pronounced one person dead at the scene, and a second body was later found in the rubble.
Alkire said a home next door to the blast was severely damaged, and a woman in that home was treated for injuries at the scene. Two utility workers were in the area to work on a reported electrical problem, but authorities did not immediately say whether that was related to the explosion.
The first victim found was later identified as a contractor for utility company BGE, according to a statement released by the Harford County Fire and EMS Department.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office reported Sunday night that a second body was found in the rubble of the home at the center of the explosion. The person is believed to be the 73-year-old homeowner, but positive identification was pending, according to the fire department’s statement.
Investigators were also working to establish how many homes were damaged and what the extent of the blast radius was. Harford County fire officials said at least 12 families have been displaced because of damage to neighboring homes. Authorities said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
“I’ve been on the job for almost 18 years, and this is one of the biggest explosions I’ve ever seen,” Alkire said.
A photo released by county officials showed several firefighters standing around the rubble of the home, with another damaged home in the background. Charred pieces of wood were piled on the property, and insulation and splintered wood spilled into the street. Small fragments of debris hung from nearby trees. Emergency workers were later seen using heavy equipment to search through the debris.
More than 60 emergency personnel responded to the scene from multiple agencies. The state fire marshal, sheriff and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were assisting with the investigation, as is standard procedure.
Lisa Czawlytko, who lives in a nearby condominium, said the explosion woke her and her three children and knocked her pet bird to the ground.
He said the roof structure on four condominium buildings buckled and sent aluminum siding from the roof to the ground. He attended a news conference at a nearby library to ask authorities if it was safe to remain in the building.
He added that he felt the force of the explosion.
“The whole building shook like a big earthquake,” he said in an interview.
Her 8-year-old daughter described it as terrifying when her mother asked her how she felt about it.
“I thought a bomb had fallen,” Myca said.
The explosion woke Greg Clifford from a sound sleep inside his rowhouse a block away. At first he thought a tree had fallen on his deck or that lightning had caused the loud noise.
“It just shook everything up,” Clifford said.
“It was incredibly strong.”
He also noted some damage to his home.
“My bedroom window has separated from the frame of the house,” Clifford said.
“I mean, I can see right out onto my deck. My basement door, the glass, it didn’t break, but it went inward, and the frame is all cracked.”
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