Gas was the likely cause of the Tuesday evening explosion that leveled a house in the Glenmore subdivision east of Charlottesville, killing a woman and seriously injuring a man, according to Albemarle County officials.
The woman, who was a Glenmore resident, had been checking on the house at 2331 Ferndown Lane Tuesday for its owners who were out of the country at the time, according to Albemarle County Fire Rescue. The man had come at her request to locate the source of a gassy smell, the fire department said.
"We believe this is a totally isolated incident," Albemarle Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said at a Wednesday press conference.
He said Albemarle County’s fire marshal is focusing the investigation on gas appliances and distribution systems on the property. Neighbors say that unlike urban areas served by piped methane, widely known as natural gas, many Glenmore residents rely on buried propane tanks to fuel household heat, water and stoves.
It is unclear how long the pair were on the property, but around 6 p.m. the house was gone — leveled by a blast that shook the ground and which those nearby likened to the sound of an airplane crashing.
"The debris field alone is about a mile in diameter," said Eggleston. "Firefighters at the Glenmore station told me they felt and heard the blast before the 911 call came in."
Eggleston recounted what rescue crews discovered. He said they first found the man alive in the basement rubble.
Eggleston said the critically injured man was initially taken to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville and later transferred to the Evans-Haynes Burn Center at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he remains in serious condition.
"Later, we discovered there was another person missing," said Eggleston. "We found a deceased woman under a debris pile in the vicinity where the man was."
Eggleston said that relatives of the dead woman have asked that her name be withheld. The man’s name has also been withheld.
County property records show that the house is owned by Henry and Barbara Rainville. A dozen surrounding houses were damaged by the blast, displacing those residents as well.
"It’s possible some of the homes in the adjacent area could be destroyed," Eggleston said. "We’ve seen damage as far away as half a mile."
He said crews are working with homeowners and insurance carriers to begin to see which houses can be saved. In the meantime, the displaced families are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
Multiple agencies, including the Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Emergency Management and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are assisting in the investigation.
While the public and the press were kept at a distance Tuesday night, they watched as medics slowly walked a gurney toward the debris field. Roughly an hour later, officials confirmed what many already feared: The explosion had taken out more than the house.
"We know this is a difficult time for the Glenmore community, and we will stand with them every step of the way," Eggleston said.
Eggleston said that he didn’t know how the gas smell was reported, but he urged anyone who smells anything similar to call authorities.
"I would say homeowners remain vigilant," he said, "If they smell any gas at all, call 911 and immediately leave the residence."
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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