Provo, UT – A wheelchair-bound woman barely escaped death Sunday afternoon after her south Provo home exploded.
Neighbors in the 1200 East block of 520 South, who felt their own homes shake from the blast, helped pull Glenda Wyatt, 54, from the rubble.
Ben Pierce, who lives across the street from Wyatt, was one of the first to reach the pile of charred lumber, drywall and insulation that used to be a home.
“I got there and saw another man pulling her through a hole in the rubble on the east side,” Pierce said. “She had burn injuries on her face and she was talking about her kids. ‘Make sure my kids are OK,’ she kept saying.”
Pierce and others said Wyatt had at least two grandchildren visiting her earlier in the day, but they left before the explosion. Neighbors also said she had two dogs, one was rescued after the explosion.
Glass, charred pieces of wood and other debris from the blast were scattered more than 100 feet from the home, with large pieces of debris resting in trees and on the roofs of neighboring homes.
Dean York, public information officer with the Provo Fire Department, said the home at 1214 E. 520 South is a total loss.
York said Wyatt was transported by ambulance to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center with burns to her face and arms. She was then flown to the University of Utah Burn Unit where she was listed in serious condition Sunday night.
York also said a man who assisted in the rescue drove to the hospital himself after suffering from mild smoke inhalation.
Cameron Green, who also lives across the street, said when he heard the explosion his first thought was that someone ran into his car.
“I called 911 and then ran out to see what was happening.” Green said. “It shook our house and there was like 100 people on the street about a minute after it happened.”
Emergency crews arrived on the scene within a few minutes of the noon explosion. Firefighters from Provo quickly extinguished the small fire burning in what was left of the home.
Debris from the blast rested on the roofs and in the yards of neighboring homes. A large section of the home’s west wall was resting on a neighbor’s vehicle, which showed significant damage.
York said the explosion appeared to be an accident.
Pierce said he smelled gas just before the explosion, and York confirmed that the blast was likely sparked by the natural gas stove.
Police and utility workers cleared neighbors to go back into the homes about an hour after the explosion. An investigation into the blast continues.