A powerful explosion leveled a home in Haymarket, Virginia, after contractors hit an underground gas line and residents were told to evacuate. No one was injured.
Two couples and their very young children lived in the home, and the families lost everything. The families were evacuated and no injuries were reported, according to the fire department, but the families’ pets are believed to have died in the explosion.
“Nothing’s going to bring them back unless somehow they made it out alive, which I hope they did, but who knows where they are,” said Jarrett Struniak, a resident of the home.
Chopper4 video shows the flames and stunning wreckage.
He lived in the home with his fiancee and 3-year-old daughter, along with another couple and their toddler.
“I mean honestly, you can see everything go away in an instant and you realize you have nothing,” Struniak said. “It’s frustrating and demoralizing.”
Struniak said he is breathing a sigh of relief that his loved ones are OK.
“You can't really do anything about it. You can be angry, but what’s that going to do? You’re being angry at the wind,” he said. “The silver lining is that nobody was hurt. Not a firefighter, not a city worker, not a single person in the cul de sac was hurt, and that’s really great in itself.”
First responders were dispatched to the 5900 block of Coby Hunt Court in Haymarket at 4:17 p.m. in response to a reported outside gas leak. Nearby homes were evacuated. At about 5:36 p.m., those units messaged the house had exploded.
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Neighbors John and Laura Grzejka heard the blast that rocked the quiet Piedmont community.
“Massive explosion,” he said. “Laura's screaming like, ‘What’s going on? What’s going on?’”
“It sounded like a sonic boom,” she said.
“You could smell gas and they were addressing it, you know, nothing, it wasn't shut down,” said Angie Rick, another neighbor.
According to preliminary information, contractors were working in the area and struck an underground gas line.
Struniak said work was supposed to be a routine repair. When workers hit that gas line, he had no idea this would be the result.
Officials say two neighboring houses were also damaged, and it will be days before gas service will be restored to several homes.
“There’s eight homes that are affected right now, one that had the devastating explosion,” said Prince William County Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Kim Stewart. “All homeowners, everybody’s, out and safely out.”
Prince William County Fire and Rescue said there is no further danger to the community.
Neighbors are rallying behind the affected families, and the Red Cross was called in to assist.
Prince William County Fire and Rescue was working to contain hotspots and monitoring conditions. Investigators are still working to learn what ignited the explosion. Officials are expected to give an update Wednesday.
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