4 Firefighters Injured During Littlestown House Explosion
It goes without saying that fighting fires is never going to be an easy job. There are definitely no tame days at the office. Still, it’s no less disheartening to learn when one of these brave men or women gets hurt while on duty. On the morning of March 4th, four were hurt while responding to a call about a Littlestown home. At one point, the fire triggered a gas explosion that left them with serious burns.
All Are Expected to Recover
The good news is that all those who were involved with the explosion are expected to make a full recovery. Raymond Boyd, 20, and Jay Ingle, who is somewhere in his mid-20s were both in stable condition after they were taken to Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore shortly after the explosion.
Two other firefighters suffered less severe injuries and were taken to Gettysburg hospital.
How Did the Explosion Occur?
The fire department was called to the scene on Friday at 10:38 am by Columbia Gas. The company had themselves been contacted when someone smelled gas.
When the fire department arrived, they had no other option but to enter into the house from a side window. Firefighters were already dressed in full turnout gear with monitors and air packs. This would turn out to be a very smart decision on their part.
While making sure that the home was empty, they eventually ended up in the basement. There, they were checking to confirm the water heater and furnace were secured. It was at that point that the explosion happened.
During the entire ordeal, the owner of the home, Claire Tesno, 82, was away, reportedly at her local YMCA. A neighbor had tried calling Claire’s daughter and was actually on the phone with her when the explosion happened.
Extensive Damage Done
According to the daughter, her mother was fine, though it’s understandable that she’d be a bit shaken by the incident. Obviously, she’s very lucky to have not been home when the explosion took place.
At the moment, though, the home cannot be inhabited. Tesno will be staying with her daughter until other accommodations can be managed.
The explosion actually took place in the home’s HVAC vents. It resulted in extensive damage that destroyed her cabinets and even caused an exterior wall to bulge out. The garage wall was similarly pushed out by the explosion.
Everyone in the neighborhood is lucky the smell of gas was reported when it was, as the damage could have been a lot worse and involved others. Of course, even though fire fighters were able to turn the gas off before things got out of control, an explosion still occurred and minor fires inside the residence broke out because of combustible materials.
Still, the explosion was essentially contained. Columbia Gas even checked other homes in the area to ensure there wasn’t a widespread problem at work and their check came back negative.
There will be an ongoing investigation, though, to get to the bottom of the explosion. As we mentioned, the gas had been turned off, but enough had already spilled out that some source was able to light it.
This is a good reminder of how important it is to stay on top of your home’s gas. If you ever smell any from your residence or one in your neighborhood, don’t hesitate to call the gas company. You should also let your neighbors know. Should you be unable to get a hold of your gas company, immediately call 911 and ask for assistance. Then get as far away from the residence as possible until the officials confirm it is safe.
Source:
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/03/4_firefighters_hurt_in_littles.html
