Yahoo TV

STORY: :: A gas leak quickly escalated into a

deadly explosion at this Maryland house

:: Abingdon, Maryland

:: August 11, 2024

:: Oliver Alkire, Mastery Deputy State Fire Marshall

“Around 6:42, the Fire Department was initially requested for a gas leak outside. That was the initial request. However, as they were approaching the scene, they received multiple other phone calls stating that now this gas leak has been turned into a house explosion. Units arrived on scene. They did locate the deceased victim. They pronounced that victim deceased.”

:: A Baltimore Gas and Electric contractor

was identified as the person killed

:: Sandy Dickerson, Neighbor

“Gosh, I woke up to a bang and everything was shaky, everything shook really violently. Got up and walked out and there were flames above the trees. And the EMS responders were here before you know it. And it took us a while to discern what was going on. You know, I kind of thought it was an earthquake. We're all outside, and obviously, you know, the flames walked down and the house was just demolished, in pieces. So, you know, then you come back and you assess the situation and we're all just digesting it.”

Jeffery Sexton, the public information officer for the Harford County Fire and EMS Association, reported that emergency crews were called to the 2300 block of Arthur Woods Drive around 6:42 a.m. for what began as a gas leak but quickly escalated into a catastrophic explosion.

Master Deputy State Fire Marshal, Oliver Alkire, identified the victim as a 35-year-old BGE contractor. The explosion also injured a nearby resident, and another person remains unaccounted for.

When crews from the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association arrived on the scene, they were met with a debris field and immediately began fire control, search, and rescue operations.

According to Deputy Alkire, the initial call was for a gas leak. Two BGE workers were already on-site addressing an electrical issue when they detected the smell of gas and identified a potential leak. Moments later, the explosion occurred, causing widespread damage.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.