Edgewood, MD — A gas explosion in Edgewood leveled a home in the 2500 block of Thornberry Drive on Sunday night.
The explosion damaged two nearby homes and sent a resident of the house to a burn center with serious burns.
Neighbors tell WMAR-2 News a man they know as “Del” lived in the home and that he works as postal employee.”
“We’re just praying right now that he recovers from his injuries,” said neighbor Donna Dulski.
Responding units from the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company responded around 9:30 p.m. last night. Surrounding fire companies and departments put the resulting fire from the explosion out by midnight.
On Monday, neighbors came out to assess the damage.
“I heard this noise say I have never heard before I mean it was thunderous. I thought a car hit the house,” said Greg Dulski.
“God was watching over him,” said Dulski.
Neighbors tell WMAR the homeowner was able to leave the house and was transported to a burn center by responders in critical condition. He is now in stable condition, officials said.
In a statement to WMAR, BGE said it appears private work on a home stove may have been responsible for the blast.
The utility’s full statement read:
“BGE crews have concluded inspections of BGE gas equipment serving the 2500 block of Thornberry Drive and surrounding neighborhoods in Edgewood, MD. BGE has found that all its equipment- gas mains, gas service pipes, and gas meters- has been operating safely and was not the cause of the natural gas explosion and fire that occurred on Oct. 10. Initial reports indicate that the incident may be related to private work being done on a stove in the house. As a reminder, only a licensed technician should conduct installation and repair work on gas and electric equipment and appliances. The State Fire Marshall’s Office is leading the investigation, however, BGE remains on the scene to assist. If residents in the area have any questions about the event, they are urged to contact BGE at 1-800-685-0123. As always, if any customer has concerns about gas safety, get to a safe location, and contact 911 or BGE immediately at 877.778.7798.”