Sunday, February 13, 2000
Two escape explosion and fire in house
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP — An explosion thought to be caused by natural gas rocked a Belfast Avenue home in Dillonvale at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.
The house then caught fire. Two occupants, who were not immediately identified, escaped unharmed.
Neighbors said they have been reporting a gas smell for several weeks.
Jerri Jacobs, a neighbor on Belfast, said she heard an explosion and thought it was coming from her basement. When she looked outside, she saw the house across the street on fire.
“In less then a minute, flames were leaping everywhere,” she said. “It was unbelievable.”
The Sycamore Township fire department and other departments fought the fire for much of Saturday night.
At least one neighboring house was evacuated, and the natural gas supply to the entire block was shut off. Cinergy crews were checking each of the neighboring homes as a precaution, said Kathy Meinke, company spokeswoman.
It was not clear what may have caused the explosion, but preliminary investigation points to a gas line, she said.
Rob Penny, assistant Sycamore Township fire chief, said it looked like a gas leak in the main line somewhere between the house and the street. He said it appeared that gas had found its way into the basement and there was an explosion.
A neighbor, Audie Setser, who lives three doors away, arrived home about 8 p.m. and smelled gas. He called Cinergy 10 minutes before an explosion shook his house.
Cinergy had been at his house Wednesday when he smelled gas then, he said.
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