Lower Windsor Township, PA – Residents said their homes shook around 5 a.m. Thursday when a Lower Windsor Township, York County, home exploded.
“Imagine a house with a bomb that goes off inside it,” Lower Windsor Township Police Chief Tim Caldwell said of the damage. “My estimation would be the debris field probably encompasses about 100-yard direction from the foundation of the home.”
Flames could be seen from miles away as the fire burned along the 100 block of Calvary Church Road. All that’s left of the hillside home that had a picturesque view of the Susquehanna River is a hole in the ground. The home belonged to John Gish, a doctor at Lancaster General Hospital. No one was hurt in the explosion.
Resident says they were blessed
John Gish’s wife, Karen Gish, spoke to News 8. She lives in the home with her husband and three children, two of whom are in college. No one was home at the time of the blast. She told News 8 that she feels blessed by God that no one was hurt.
“All of us were out of the house,” said Karen Gish. “And that in and of itself is just a miracle. I was away at camp with two kids. I had been encouraging my husband to take a few days and go away somewhere just because he had off work.”
John Gish was fishing in Maryland when the house exploded. He has since returned home.
Karen Gish said the only thing left standing in her house was a cross, which was placed on the chimney. Gish said it was fitting that the symbol of her family’s Christian faith was the only thing left standing.
The family had lived in the home about 16 years. Karen Gish said she’s not sure what they’re going to do.
Neighbors thought blast was earthquake
Some neighbors said the explosion, which they believed was caused by a propane tank, was so powerful they first thought it was an earthquake. Some residents in Lancaster County, across the Susquehanna River, reported that their homes shook.
Fire crews said the blaze was tough to fight. There is only one driveway leading to the home and that caused some problems. At times, they had to use four-wheel-drive vehicles to get to the scene.
Fire investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of the blast. Caldwell said there is no reason to believe the blast is suspicious. He said it appears to be accidental.