(Scypre.com) – A devastating explosion early Sunday morning in Bel Air, Maryland, claimed one life and injured two others. The blast, which occurred around 6:42 a.m. on Arthur Woods Drive, leveled a home and damaged several neighboring residences, according to authorities.
The explosion was so powerful that it reduced the house to splintered wood, insulation, and debris, as captured in a photo shared by Harford County Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire, who has been on the job for 18 years, remarked that this was one of the largest explosions he had ever witnessed. Firefighters from the Harford County Fire Department were already in the area responding to a report of a gas leak when the explosion took place.
A spokesperson for the Harford County Fire and EMS Association, Jeffrey Sexton, confirmed that one person was found dead in the large debris field left by the blast. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released.
Search-and-rescue operations continued throughout Sunday morning as crews sifted through the rubble. The explosion also injured a Baltimore Gas and Electric (BG&E) worker, who was on-site investigating an electrical issue, as well as a woman in a neighboring home. The woman was treated at the scene.
Authorities reported that multiple homes sustained damage, and a thorough damage assessment was underway. No evacuations were ordered. The house that exploded was reportedly up for sale at the time of the incident.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, Harford County Sheriff’s Department, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are jointly investigating the cause of the explosion.