Independence, MO – In a matter of minutes, Cecil Dudley went from the proud owner of a new house to a man left sifting through debris and counting his blessings.
Dudley said he spent all day Wednesday moving into his home on 24th Terrace near Crysler Road in Independence, filling it with new furniture, electronics and everything he owned. He said one other thing he did before going to sleep was to ignite the pilot light on his water heater.
He was at work Thursday morning when he got a call that his house had exploded.
Investigators said the explosion was caused by an uncapped natural gas line. It left Dudley’s house in ruins.
That’s the bed I was sleeping in right there, he said, walking through the charred remains of his home. You can see the springs. I slept in that bed last night.
He said the explosion was so strong that half of the house was blown off its foundation. Parts of the garage doors were launched into the trees.
It’s a used-to-be house, Dudley said. It’s no more.
He said he wasn’t sure whether any of his insurance coverage would pay for the losses.
Fire investigators told Dudley it’s amazing the house didn’t blow up as soon as he lit the pilot light. Dudley said the fact that he made it through the night without it exploding is heartening.
Anything can be replaced. A life cannot, so I am so blessed, he said. When you see what can happen, just like that? It lets you know how blessed you are to be here today.