House Explosion In Lochearn Is 2nd In 2 Days For Baltimore County
LOCHEARN, Md. (WJZ) - Baltimore County Fire crews responded to an explosion that demolished a home in Lochearn Tuesday afternoon, just one day after a similar house explosion in the Baltimore Highlands.
Firefighters were on the scene just after 2 p.m. Tuesday, in the 7400 block of Remoor Rd.
Two days in a row, yet another home explodes, rocking one Baltimore County neighborhood.
This was a powerful blast, and officials are saying it's a miracle no one was injured.
An aerial view from Chopper 13 shows the rubble left after a single-family home exploded in Lochearn.
The blast sent debris flying high and wide. Insulation from the house was scattered blocks away from the epicenter of the blast.
At least nine other homes in a two block radius had some form of damage.
"We have structures on both sides of the primary structure, we also have structures in the rear and across the street from this that suffered damage anywhere from nail pipes inside the dry walls, to severe structural damage on the outside of the house walls," said Lonnie Ledford, with the Baltimore County Fire Department.
A student told WJZ she felt the blast at her school, which was more than a mile away.
Tim Reynolds was one of the first people to show up after the explosion.
"When I went over there, the house was demolished," he said. "The whole roof was blown off."
"When it happened, I didn't know what it was. Sounded like a bomb," said neighbor Dave Bell.
One man told WJZ the home at the center of the explosion was up for sale, and no one lived there.
The battalion chief said it was a miracle no one was hurt.
"That is phenomenal. It seems like it happened early enough in the day that people were still coming home from work or were not home yet from work, and that would have been had it been a few hours later," Ledford said.
In the aftermath, BGE crews went door-to-door to check for any gas leaks.
Nearby residents were also told to shelter in place, and as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, at least 10 people were not allowed to go back home.
"Absolutely not," Ledford said. "Especially the ones near the blast. They are going to be displaced for a while."
There's a backhoe being used to remove some of the rubble.
As for what caused this massive explosion, investigators are looking into if natural gas was the cause.
RELATED: Explosion Destroys Baltimore County Home; Sends 1 To Hospital
On Monday, one person was taken to Shock Trauma following a home explosion in the 2800 block of Virginia Avenue. That home is being considered a total loss. The cause of that fire is also under investigation.
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