Gas leak reported at home before deadly explosion in Bel Air, Maryland, official says
A house in Maryland was leveled in a large explosion on Sunday morning, killing at least one person and damaging surrounding homes in its blast radius, according to authorities.
The blast occurred in Bel Air, a town in Harford County, after a gas leak was reported, Harford County fire officials told reporters during a press conference.
The fire department initially responded to a reported gas leak, but while still on their way to the home, the home exploded, said Master Deputy of the Maryland State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire.
"I’ve been on the job for nearly 18 years," Alkire told reporters. "This is one of the largest explosions I’ve seen, especially in Harford County."
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At least one person was killed when a house exploded in Bel Air, Maryland, after a reported gas leak on Sunday morning. (Harford County, MD Volunteer Fire & EMS)
Firefighters found one victim dead at the scene. The victim’s identity was not immediately available as authorities notified next-of-kin.
About 60 emergency personnel responded to the scene to dig through the piles of debris to locate any other potential victims.
Alkire said two Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) workers had been called to investigate an electrical issue and were at the scene when the explosion occurred. It was unclear whether the deceased victim was a BGE worker.
Harford County has opened its hotline for residents to report information about the blast in Abingdon early Sunday morning. If you smelled gas in the area, or if your home was damaged by the blast, please call 410-838-5800.
— HarfordCoDES (@HarfordCoDES) August 11, 2024
Alkire added that a woman who lived in a neighboring house that was badly damaged was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
As the explosion incident moves towards the investigation and recovery mode, Fire & EMS will switch to a support role. The @MarylandOSFM will lead the investigation & @HarfordCoDES is leading recovery efforts and collecting information. We will push out information on their… https://t.co/rthFAAnhJr
— Harford Co., MD Fire & EMS (@HarforCoFireEMS) August 11, 2024
The home that exploded was listed for sale, according to Alkire, but it was unknown whether anyone was still inside when the blast occurred.
Alkire confirmed that an odor of gas was present in the area before the explosion. He told reporters that it was unclear whether the explosion was intentional.
"We have to treat every scene like a crime scene because right now, we just don’t know," Alkire said.
Please note: Recreational drones are not permitted over an emergency scene. Officials are using aircraft to search the debris. https://t.co/oyeVsGs2Vn pic.twitter.com/qU3sH8jKMb
— Harford Co., MD Fire & EMS (@HarforCoFireEMS) August 11, 2024
The cause of the blast remained under investigation.
Officials asked the public to stay away from the scene and refrain from flying personal drones overhead as investigators worked in the area.
Residents who live within the blast radius were asked to report any structure damage to authorities.
